Digital Realty & Ecolab AI Aims to Cut Data Centre Water Use

Data centres form the backbone of the global digital economy, housing the servers and networking equipment that power cloud computing, online services and digital communications worldwide.

Yet as the demand for digital services continues to grow, so does the environmental footprint of these facilities.

Data centres consume substantial amounts of energy and water, particularly for cooling purposes.

With climate change concerns intensifying, the technology industry faces increasing pressure to reduce its resource consumption.

Water scarcity has become a critical issue in many regions where data centres operate, prompting the sector to seek innovative solutions for sustainable operations.

Facing these challenges, Digital Realty, a company that owns and operates data centres globally, has announced an expansion of its partnership with Ecolab, a provider of water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions.

AI-driven water management 

The collaboration aims to address the data centre industry's water consumption challenges through the implementation of AI technology, according to industry reports.

The initiative will see Digital Realty deploy an AI-powered water conservation solution across 35 of its data centres in the US.

This pilot project, implemented by Nalco Water, a division of Ecolab, seeks to enhance water use efficiency and minimise environmental impact.

Aaron Binkley, Vice President of sustainability at Digital Realty, stated:

The AI system combines Ecolab's expertise with advanced automation and control technology.

By utilising machine learning models, the system creates actionable water consumption benchmarks, identifies real-time inefficiencies in cooling systems and recommends immediate improvements.

Environmental impact of data centres 

Data centres are known for their substantial energy consumption, often using power equivalent to that of a small city.

However, their water usage, which is equally concerning, has received less public attention, environmental experts say.

These facilities require significant amounts of water for cooling purposes, such as a 15-megawatt data centre in the US that consumes vast quantities of water to maintain optimal operating temperatures for its servers and equipment.

This level of water consumption can potentially impact local communities and ecosystems, especially in areas already facing water scarcity.

Traditional cooling methods employed by many data centres, such as cooling towers, can pose environmental and health risks.

These systems are often inefficient and can serve as breeding grounds for harmful bacteria like Legionella.

The use of chemicals to mitigate these risks further compounds the environmental impact, water management experts say.

Expected outcomes and broader impact 

The AI-powered solution implemented by Digital Realty and Ecolab is expected to drive up to a 15% reduction in water use, extend equipment lifespan and potentially avoid the withdrawal of up to 126 million gallons of potable water from local watersheds annually, according to the companies' projections.

This initiative builds upon a long-standing relationship between Digital Realty and Ecolab.

In 2023, their joint efforts helped Digital Realty reduce water withdrawal from local watersheds by 5% and avoid 986 metric tons of CO2 emissions through restorative energy projects and water use reduction initiatives, the companies report.

Digital Realty's commitment to sustainability extends beyond water conservation.

Its Apollo AI platform has reportedly saved 18 gigawatt-hours of energy.

This latest initiative may contribute to Digital Realty's efforts to achieve the status of a sustainable data centre operator.

Emilio Tenuta, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer at Ecolab, said: "AI is not just revolutionising business; it's also set to transform water and energy efficiency within the tech sector.

At Ecolab, we're proud to innovate AI-powered water solutions with Digital Realty, showcasing how next-gen technology can elevate water stewardship across industries."

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