Great Lakes Face Growing Water Demands

A new report from the Alliance for the Great Lakes warns that rising water demand from industries such as data centers, mining, and agriculture could strain the region’s delicate water balance. Although the Great Lakes Compact prevents large-scale diversions outside the basin, local overuse of groundwater poses risks such as sinking cities, higher costs, and contamination of aquifers.

Data centers are a particular concern, with some using hundreds of millions of gallons of water annually while providing little transparency about their consumption. Proposed mega-facilities, like a data center campus in Port Washington, Wisconsin, highlight the growing tension between economic incentives and water sustainability.

Climate change is compounding the challenge, disrupting historical precipitation patterns and driving new irrigation needs in agriculture. Meanwhile, mineral mining and industrial expansion could further increase water stress and contamination risks.

The report calls for stronger regional cooperation, transparency in water usage, and investment in groundwater mapping and management to ensure long-term sustainability.

Read the full article on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Photo Credit: Corgan, Vantage Data Centers