Indonesians resort to seawater showers amid water shortage

Residents of Batam, Indonesia, are resorting to seawater for bathing and flushing toilets as worsening water shortages coincide with a boom in data center construction driven by growing global demand for artificial intelligence (AI).

Locals have staged protests outside Nongsa Digital Park, blaming the expanding data center industry for worsening water supply disruptions that have affected households and small businesses.

Shopkeeper Sulastri said the shortage has forced some residents to stop producing ice cubes for their businesses, while others struggle to bathe and wash clothes.

Another resident, Juniardi Adinda Sembiring Gurukinayan, said water that was once available around the clock now flows only at night.

Water operator Air Batam Hilir (ABH) acknowledged the supply problems, citing a prolonged drought worsened by El Niño. The company said it is working to increase reservoir capacity through dredging and cloud seeding.

Authorities have also required data centers to develop independent water supplies using seawater desalination systems to reduce pressure on local resources.

According to KPMG, data center capacity in Indonesia and Malaysia is projected to triple from 2025 levels by 2030.