Google Applies AI to Reduce Water Consumption in Belgian Agriculture

In response to growing water consumption associated with the expansion of AI services, cloud infrastructure, and data centers, Google is scaling up its responsible water use program and applying artificial intelligence to reduce water consumption in Belgium’s agricultural sector.

The project is being implemented in the Scheldt River basin — a critical water system in the country where pressure on water quality and availability remains significant. As reported by Google on its corporate blog, the company is supporting Agua Segura and Agrow Analytics in deploying AI-powered precision farming tools across more than 1,000 hectares.

At the core of the project is the Agrow Analytics digital platform, which integrates satellite imagery, thermal data, soil information, climate data, and water resource data. Based on this information, farmers receive irrigation and fertilization recommendations tailored to the specific conditions of individual plots, enabling more precise management of irrigation and reducing excess resource use. According to Google’s estimates, the project could restore up to 600,000 cubic meters of water annually, while simultaneously reducing the need for fertilizers and easing the burden on water infrastructure.

For Google, this project is also directly linked to the development of its own digital infrastructure. As AI services grow, the load on data centers increases — including cooling systems, which also require significant volumes of water. Against this backdrop, the company is intensifying its work on water efficiency: expanding the use of reclaimed and non-potable water, assessing water risks in the design of new facilities, and implementing more precise resource consumption management tools.

The Belgian project demonstrates that AI is now being used not only to scale digital services, but also to offset the growing resource burden that accompanies the expansion of computing infrastructure.