The Future of Data Centres: Cooling with a Conscience
As the digital economy grows, so does the environmental impact of the infrastructure behind it. A recent BBC article spotlights a move by Anglian Water: using treated sewage water to cool data centers – a bold step toward sustainable digital infrastructure.
As the reader may be aware, the government has committed to building more AI infrastructure and invited areas to apply to become “AI growth zones”. To make such an application, applicants must have a letter of support from their local water supplier. Water usage and data centres, however, sound alarms in even the minorly environmentally conscious.
Although, as John Booth, of the Data Centre Alliance, explains, fears over data centre water usage is most likely based on US data centres – given that American data centres often used “evaporative cooling”, (which involves spraying water onto a heat exchanger and was designed for when the temperature outside reached 28C) whereas the large data centres in the UK, that he visited, use “closed loop” cooling systems, which did not require continual supplies of water. Closed looped systems, as Elizabeth Richard, from the Institution of Civil Engineers explained in the BBC article, requires a “big initial demand” of water to “charge up” but not continual supplies.
The above aside, Geoff Darch, head of strategic asset planning at Anglian Water, said if a developer approached Anglian asking for a regular tap water connection for a large data centre in a water-stressed part of its region, “our immediate response would be that that’s going to be challenging”.
Accordingly, Anglian Water have made it clear that they are wanting developers to look at alternative sources of water – including “treated sewage effluent”. This approach could significantly reduce the pressure on freshwater resources, especially as data centres are projected to consume increasing amounts of water and energy as the demand increases.
The use of effluent is a clear example of how circular economy principles can be applied to high-tech industries. Importantly, both John Booth and Elizabeth Orchard agreed that using the effluent was “possible” and “sensible” – with Elizabeth Orchard confirming that it was a “known, viable technology”.
As climate pressures mount and digital demand surges, it is clear that data centres need to be resilient, resource-efficient, and adaptable. Cooling with treated wastewater isn’t just a novel idea – it’s a glimpse into a greener digital future. Indeed, the future of data centres has to be not just smart but also sustainable.
Subcribe to news and viewsLarge data centres should be cooled with "treated sewage effluent" rather than drinking water, according to a water company.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyx41kx8d5o
