New reporting by The Guardian on data centers’ effects on the Great Lakes — the largest freshwater reserves in the world — spotlights concerns that new data center buildouts are leading to lower-than-average water levels throughout the region. As companies look for areas to plant their immense AI data centers, the small towns dotting the Great Lakes region have made for appetizing targets. “They’re not good, I know that.”It’s worth pointing out that there are still a lot of questions about exactly how much water AI data centers are using. A recent Wired piece, canvassing experts on the issue of data center water usage, found that it’s a muddy issue with many variables. “We are lower than last month and certainly lower than we were last year.”More on data centers: First Responders Are Being Overwhelmed by Data Center Fires