Los Alamos Lab's Water Demand Surges With Nuclear and AI Expansion
Los Alamos National Laboratory will consume 1.4 million gallons of water daily for at least the next decade as it expands operations for nuclear weapons production and artificial intelligence supercomputers, the U.S. Department of Energy projected last month.
The expansion marks the lab's largest growth since the Manhattan Project. It will increase the facility's footprint by roughly 30 percent and nearly double its water consumption from previous years.
The 504 million gallons annually required represents roughly 17 times the daily water use of an average New Mexico resident. For context, the lab would consume in one day what a typical farmer uses in a year.
Water Stress in an Arid Region
The expansion comes as New Mexico faces a critical water shortage. The state's aquifers are being depleted faster than they recharge, and by 2050, the state will face a shortage of roughly 2.5 trillion gallons, according to the New Mexico Groundwater Alliance.
Most of the lab's water comes from the Española Basin, a sole-source aquifer that also supplies eight tribes and towns, including Santa Fe. Wells in Los Alamos have declined 1 to 2 feet per year since the 1970s.
The adjacent Pojoaque Basin Aquifer is now closed to new water development to protect tribal water rights following a decades-long lawsuit.
Climate change compounds the problem. Snowpack has hit record lows, and precipitation has declined, straining existing supplies. Los Alamos County's water conservation plan identifies "changing climate" as one of the biggest uncontrollable factors affecting regional water resources.
Federal Assurances and Local Concerns
The Department of Energy said in its environmental impact statement that continued pumping at current rates would be sustainable for hundreds of years, even with erratic weather patterns.
Federal environmental law only requires further analysis if the lab exceeds 542 million gallons annually - the amount of water rights it currently holds. The lab's projected use of 504 million gallons stays below that threshold.
However, that figure represents about 30 percent of all water consumption in Los Alamos County.
Philo Shelton, manager of the county's Public Utilities Department, said discussions about how the lab will meet expanded water demands are still in early stages. The lab will need to use reclaimed water and leverage its existing water rights allocation, he said.
Contamination Complicates Supply
A separate problem limits the county's ability to increase supply. Hexavalent chromium, a toxic carcinogen from decades of lab operations, has contaminated the aquifer. When the contamination was found within a quarter mile of a drinking water well, the county shut it off as a precaution.
The county is discussing with the Department of Energy the possibility of drilling a new well to compensate.
AI Supercomputers Drive the Thirst
Much of the increased water use will support a "future supercomputer" expected to come online in 2027, according to the impact statement. Two supercomputers have already been installed at the lab in recent years to "explore the tremendous opportunities of artificial intelligence," said Tom Mason, the lab's director.
The lab's water demand reflects a broader trend. Communities across the West are pushing back against growing water consumption by technology facilities, particularly AI data centers.
Project Jupiter, a controversial AI data center campus planned for southern New Mexico, is projected to use about 1 million gallons per day. Meta's data center in central New Mexico is permitted to use 163 million gallons annually.
Public Input Curtailed
The Department of Energy allowed public comment on a draft environmental impact statement last year. But a day after that comment period ended, President Trump signed an executive order rescinding the National Environmental Policy Act, effectively limiting residents' ability to weigh in on the federal government's final decision to expand the lab and increase water use.
Joni Arends, executive director of Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, said the change strips people of meaningful input. "What's lost is people's right to self-determination," she said.
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