Google revealed last Thursday that it's working with Georgia's Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority to cool its massive computing center with 100 percent recycled water, arstechnica.com reported. Joe Kava, who runs Google's data center operations and construction team, says that when county residents take showers and flush their toilets, they're helping to cool the data center.
Though saving some money over the long haul with this approach is a potential benefit, the main reason for this change, Kava says, is so Google no longer puts such a strain on the area's natural water supply — and it's making sure it can ride out a drought, according to arstechnica. "It was really about being environmentally responsible and securing our supply if there was rationing of potable water," Kava said. "You don't want to contribute to any fresh water shortage."