How Edged Phoenix Delivers Waterless Data Centre Cooling

Edged US has unveiled a new data centre in Mesa, Arizona, built for AI and inference at scale.

The facility delivers 36MW of critical capacity to a growing technology corridor while focusing on resource efficiency in a region facing water constraints.

The site has opened with support from local stakeholders including Mesa city officials, and Light Source Communications, which was the first network provider to build into the facility, establishing fibre connectivity to support high-performance and AI-driven workloads.

Designed for AI and high-density compute

The Phoenix facility supports ultra-high compute densities of more than 400kW per rack using liquid cooling and more than 120kW per rack with air cooling.

Bryant Farland, President and CEO of Edged US, says: "This marks a major milestone in offering a high-performance environment to power the next generation of heavy compute while protecting local resources.

"The greater Phoenix region has become one of the most dynamic technology markets in the country.

"Given Arizona’s water pressures, building a data centre that requires zero water for cooling isn't just good business. It’s the right thing to do for the region’s long-term health.”

The facility integrates plug-and-play liquid cooling, allowing operators to deploy cooling systems alongside IT equipment without complex retrofitting. The design supports inference at scale, and the infrastructure is built to maintain stability under sustained, high-intensity compute demand.

Waterless cooling and efficiency metrics

A defining feature of the site is its use of ThermalWorks waterless cooling technology. Traditional data centres often rely on evaporative cooling, which consumes large volumes of water.

On the other hand, waterless systems remove heat without ongoing water use, reducing environmental impact.

Edged Phoenix is expected to conserve more than 138 million gallons of water annually, which is significant for Arizona, where groundwater depletion is a concern. Residents rely on groundwater for 41% of water use, increasing pressure on finite supplies.

Mesa Mayor Freeman says: "Mesa has earned a 100-year assured water supply designation because we've made hard choices about how we grow.

"Edged US shares our commitment to sustainable growth and built a world-class AI facility that uses zero water.

"That's not just good for business; that's the kind of partner we want helping us elevate Mesa."

Energy efficiency also plays a central role for the facility, which has achieved an average Power Usage Effectiveness, or PUE, of 1.15 across Edged US’ portfolio. The global average stands at 1.54, according to the Uptime Institute, meaning this design reduces excess energy consumption by 72%.

Connectivity and regional impact

Light Source Communications deploys a network of dark fibre into the facility, which is a type unused optical fibre that organisations can lease and operate independently, offering high capacity and control over data transmission.

Debra Freitas, CEO and Co-founder of Light Source Communications, says: "Edged Phoenix is exactly the kind of anchor tenant that elevates an entire connectivity ecosystem.

"From day one, this facility was designed to handle the most demanding AI, high-performance compute workloads.

"Paired with our state-of-the-art dark fiber network, we're giving hyperscalers and enterprises in the Phoenix market a platform built for the future."

The development also contributes to the local economy. Sally Harrison, President and CEO of the Mesa Chamber of Commerce, says: "The Mesa Chamber is proud to welcome Edged US as a vital addition to our business community.

"The facility created hundreds of local construction jobs and permanent, high-quality tech jobs. It represents the kind of forward-thinking, responsible investment our region needs.”

Edged US continues to expand its footprint, with a gigawatt-scale pipeline of projects and operational or in-development sites across North America, including Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Dallas, Des Moines, Kansas City and Phoenix.

The Mesa facility adds capacity tailored to AI workloads while aligning infrastructure design with regional resource constraints.