The Great Lakes hold the world’s largest supply of surface freshwater – but it is also a finite resource that must be managed responsibly for today and tomorrow.
Simultaneously converging on the water resources in this region, large water-using industries including data centres, critical minerals mining, and agriculture have the potential to cause dramatic localized impacts.

This Fact Sheet summarizes a larger report on the issue, A Finite Resource: Managing the Growing Water Needs of Data Centres, Critical Minerals Mining, and Agriculture in the Great Lakes Region.

Published By: Alliance for the Great Lakes

Publication Date: August, 2025

Click here to access the factsheet, Great Lakes Region Unprepared for Increasing Water Use