Bar chart. Source: Annual water-use comparison: all global data centers approximately 0.56 km³/yr (IEA, 2025); California almonds approximately 6.0 km³/yr (USDA NASS acreage and UC water-use estimate); U.S. corn ethanol approximately 0.5–9.3 km³/yr (EPA 2025 range applied to representative U.S. ethanol production); U.S. household water withdrawals approximately 32.2 km³/yr and golf-course irrigation approximately 1.46 km³/yr, both converted from USGS daily benchmarks. Off-scale context: global freshwater withdrawals approximately 4,000 km³/yr.. Data table with 6 rows and 2 columns follows.
| U.S. household use (withdrawals) | 32.2 |
|---|---|
| Corn ethanol (high estimate) | 9.3 |
| California almonds | 6 |
| Golf courses (upper bound) | 1.46 |
| Global data centers | 0.56 |
| Corn ethanol (low estimate) | 0.51 |