High-performance computing (HPC) systems are becoming increasingly water-intensive due to their reliance on water-based cooling and the energy used in power generation. However, the water footprint of HPC remains relatively underexplored-especially in contrast to the growing focus on carbon emissions. In this paper, we present ThirstyFLOPS - a comprehensive water footprint analysis framework for HPC systems. Our approach incorporates region-specific metrics, including Water Usage Effectiveness, Power Usage Effectiveness, and Energy Water Factor, to quantify water consumption using real-world data. Using four representative HPC systems - Marconi, Fugaku, Polaris, and Frontier - as examples, we provide implications for HPC system planning and management. We explore the impact of regional water scarcity and nuclear-based energy strategies on HPC sustainability. Our findings aim to advance the development of water-aware, environmentally responsible computing infrastructures.

翻译：高性能计算（HPC）系统因其对水冷技术的依赖以及发电过程中的能源消耗，正变得越来越耗水。然而，与日益受到关注的碳排放相比，HPC的水足迹研究仍相对不足。本文提出了ThirstyFLOPS——一个用于HPC系统的综合性水足迹分析框架。我们的方法结合了特定区域指标，包括用水效率、电力使用效率以及能源水因子，并利用真实世界数据来量化水消耗。以四个代表性的HPC系统——Marconi、Fugaku、Polaris和Frontier——为例，我们为HPC系统的规划与管理提供了启示。我们探讨了区域水资源短缺以及基于核能的能源策略对HPC可持续性的影响。我们的研究旨在推动发展具有水资源意识、环境友好的计算基础设施。