[schmookeeg]

I've been wondering this too (what happens to the warmer water), and haven't found a satisfying or objective explanation. Everything is "AI drinking my water" which... just makes no sense.

[quickthrowman]

Systems with open-loop evaporative cooling towers lose water to evaporation.

[pseudohadamard]

Probably a redundant comment, but it's the evaporation, i.e. conversion of water from liquid to gaseous form, that provides the cooling effect. At that point it's gone.