Could smarter monitoring reduce data centre wastewater?
Author: Joe Peck
Liquid waste removal experts at BusinessWaste.co.uk say operators will need to think more carefully about how water is used across their sites, where wastewater is being created, and what can be done to reduce it:
Water use depends on how sites are designed
Water demand can vary considerably between data centres, depending on the cooling systems and infrastructure in place.
Some cooling systems rely much more heavily on water, whilst others are designed to recirculate more of it. That means decisions made during site planning can have an impact on how much water it eventually uses.
For new developments, that could mean considering cooling systems, local water availability, and whether any water reuse opportunities exist before construction begins. Existing sites can also get a clearer picture of where water is going by using meters and sensors to track usage over time.
A sudden rise in consumption could prompt checks for a leak, an equipment problem, or another change in the site.
Where cooling or maintenance processes produce wastewater, cutting unnecessary water use and reusing more of it could also help reduce the amount that eventually needs to be treated or discharged.
Could AI help operators spot problems earlier?
As large data centres already produce a huge amount of operational data, AI could help operators make more sense of it.
Used alongside existing monitoring systems, AI could pull together information from water meters, cooling equipment, and other parts of a site, which could make unusual changes or any emerging patterns easier to spot. This could help operators investigate problems sooner, especially on large sites where it may be difficult to track everything manually.
Where a site generates wastewater through cooling or maintenance, the same monitoring could also help operators track changes in the amount being produced and understand where those changes originate.
There is still a lack of clear evidence around how much water data centres use and how AI could affect that demand. The Environment Agency has faced difficulties gathering reliable water-use data from the sector, which has made it difficult to assess future demand.
Research into AI-led cooling is also developing, although much of the focus so far has been on energy efficiency. A recent review of 64 studies found that only three reported water usage effectiveness (WUE), suggesting there is still more to understand about how AI optimisation could affect water consumption.
That means water use will need to be measured more consistently if operators are going to understand whether these systems are actually making a difference.
Could data centres rely on less drinking water?
As demand for AI continues to grow, there will likely come a point when operators will need to look beyond using drinking water as a means of cooling.
Depending on the site and the type of cooling system being used, some options include rainwater harvesting, recycled wastewater, and other non-drinking water sources. Government research has already identified these as possible ways to ease pressure on public water supplies.
Closed-loop cooling could also help, as it allows water to circulate through a system several times rather than constantly bringing in fresh supplies. The Environment Agency has pointed to this as a more water-efficient option and says reuse should be considered when new data centres are planned.
There may also be opportunities to reuse some of the wastewater created on site. Water removed from cooling systems, for example, can sometimes be treated and fed back into the system instead of being discharged straight away.
For future sites, the wider aim could be to get more use out of the water already available, rather than relying so heavily on fresh supplies each time.
Calls for more transparency
Mark Hall, Liquid Waste Removal Expert at BusinessWaste.co.uk, comments, “Data centres are becoming a bigger part of everyday infrastructure, and the relationship between them and water is becoming a bigger part of discussions.
“As more sites are proposed, operators are likely to face more questions from local communities, councils, and regulators about the pressure they could place on water supplies. Being able to explain that is going to become increasingly important.
“There needs to be more openness across the sector, because if we don’t know how much water data centres are using, it becomes much harder to judge what further growth could mean for local water supplies.
“For businesses planning new sites, water should be treated as a key part of the decision-making process from the beginning. The availability of land and power will always matter, but access to water could also play a bigger role in where these facilities can realistically operate.”
