Water Resilience in the AI Boom
14 April 2026; 10–11 a.m. EDT / 2–3 p.m. UTC
Zoom Webinars Platform
The rapid expansion of data centers — fueled largely by accelerating AI demand — is creating unprecedented infrastructure growth in a number of regions and hotspots globally. Data centers have become one of the most attractive real estate assets in 2025, and hyperscaler capital expenditures have surged globally in efforts to increase capacity.
However, this boom is placing significant strain on local water and energy systems. Data centers require vast amounts of water for cooling and indirectly consume water through the power generation they rely on. Their siting near population centers increases competition with municipal, industrial, and agricultural users. In many regions, the scale and speed of deployment are outpacing the ability of utilities and regulators to plan for the associated resource demands, creating “unknown unknowns” that threaten local resilience, environmental sustainability, and long-term economic goals.
Without improved data, planning processes, and regulatory frameworks, data centers may exacerbate already stressed systems shaped by climate and demographic pressures — and may themselves face operational risks from resource scarcity. Ensuring sustainable, equitable, and resilient outcomes will require new policies, practices, and tools that integrate data centers into broader water and energy planning across regional and national scales. This webinar will highlight some of the key challenges and opportunities for taking a water resilience oriented approach to data center development, with the aim of finding solutions that meet the growing demand without compromising the functionality of utilities or the well-being of local communities.
Session Overview
Opening Remarks - John Matthews, Executive Director, AGWA
Keynote Presentation - Josh Weinberg, Senior Policy Advisor, AGWA
Panel Discussion, featuring:
Georgette Mrakadeh-Keane, Communications Lead, AGWA - Moderator
Will Hewes, Water Sustainability Lead, Amazon Web Services
Emma Housman, Sr. Director, Sustainability & Social Impact, Xylem
Marissa Streyle, Sector Lead, Alliance for Water Stewardship
Marshall Brown, Aurora Water
Closing Remarks - Betsy Otto, Fellow, AGWA
