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Re:TSMC in Japan: Things to know about its chip factory plans by renewiltord on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @12:18PM (#29639538)
This is not a significant risk factor. It’s the naïve model: “they use water, therefore they will be in trouble if water becomes scarce”. However through recycling to reuse, the net use is low enough to not be a significant risk factor.

Think about it. They’re building a massive plant. This is a basic input factor. What model of the world reconciles the idea that these guys are very good at making semiconductors for decades but unable to model changes in the input factors over that period? Does that model sound like the highest probability model to explain their behavior?

Re:TSMC in Japan: Things to know about its chip factory plans by MangoCoffee on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @12:49PM (#29639978)
the water talking point is never going to die. Taiwan doesn't have enough water for all its industry and semis industry taking up the most water yet Taiwan managed and TSMC keep building new fab in Taiwan.

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2021/06/why-do-chip-makers-k...

"Counterintuitively, the famously thirsty industry can even improve the local water supply due to a focus on reclamation and purification—Intel has funded 15 water restoration projects in the Grand Canyon State with a goal of restoring 937 million gallons per year, and it expects to reach net positive water use once the projects are completed."

reclaim the water is the key

Re:TSMC in Japan: Things to know about its chip factory plans by ahartmetz on Tuesday December 21, 2021 @01:03PM (#29640163)
> However through recycling to reuse

Exactly! Fabs use lots of hazardous chemicals, it's not like they can just dump the water contaminated with these into the next river. And if they clean it, why not clean it a little more and reuse it?