The Business of Water in the Data Center

Water management practices have downstream impacts throughout data center operations, says Calvin Emanuel, vice president and general manager, sustainable growth solutions at Ecolab, a global sustainability leader that delivers comprehensive science-based solutions, data-driven insights and world-class service to protect resources vital to life. Scale, corrosion, fouling and microbiological growth can all negatively impact the efficiency and reliability of cooling water systems, potentially shortening the lifespan of equipment and infrastructure assets.

“There’s a hidden cost of water, tied back to operational reliability,” he says.

Water consumption is tied to broader energy costs, as well. “When you drive down water use, it also lowers energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions because water requires energy to move, cool and treat, which can create more savings,” Emanuel says.

Innovative management can also amplify the advantages of water over alternative cooling methods, like air. “Air-cooled operations require more energy, recasting that challenge from a water management issue to a power generation issue. But when power is generated, it typically involves water usage in the utility provider’s operation,” Emanuel says. “So you still have a water exposure problem, but now tied to elevated greenhouse gas generation.”

Still, experts like Emanuel and Levy note there is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for improving water management practices. “It depends on size, location, application, cooling technology and the vulnerability of local water supplies, among various other factors,” Levy says. “The first step is to be data-driven—to measure everything in a reliable and consistent way.” Recognition that sustainability in data center operations works in tandem with, rather than in opposition to, business performance is critical.

With that in mind, Emanuel emphasizes the importance of taking a comprehensive, holistic view of data center operations.

“When Ecolab engages with companies through its Ecolab Water for Climate™ program, the first step is understanding their business and sustainability objectives,” he says. “That gives us a clear understanding of customer goals and any operational constraints. From there, we conduct assessments and engineering audits to uncover actionable insights and develop a tailored blueprint for improvement.”

With a water-management blueprint in place, operators can take an active role in achieving their strategic business goals by leveraging data-driven tools like Ecolab’s Water Risk Monetizer to guide decision-making. This tool models the full business value of water by applying risk-adjusted pricing, helping companies quantify the impact of their water stewardship efforts. “If you’re going to drive change, you need visibility into your water operations,” Emanuel says. “If you can’t see the problem, you don’t know what you need to fix.”

Operators are seeing clear benefits from using digital technologies to act on insights more quickly and effectively. Tools like Ecolab’s 3D TRASAR™ technology use connected sensors and automation to monitor water cooling systems in real time, flagging inefficiencies and prompting timely adjustments. “It’s designed to help data centers respond to rapidly changing impacts on performance,” Emanuel says. In 2024, Ecolab partnered with data center operator Digital Realty to pilot an AI-powered water conservation solution across 35 of its U.S. data centers. The initiative aims to reduce water usage by up to 15%, potentially saving 126 million gallons of potable water annually. The system uses real-time data to identify inefficiencies in water cooling operations and recommend adjustments that optimize both resource usage and performance.

“Artificial intelligence has tremendous potential to transform society in ways we’ve never seen before,” Emanuel says. “At Ecolab, we see this not just as a resource management challenge, but as an opportunity. By advancing digital technologies and optimizing operations, we are helping customers reduce waste, ease pressure on local water supplies and meet business profitability goals while creating a more sustainable future. The promise of AI isn’t just in what it can compute, but in how we choose to apply it to drive greater efficiency, innovation and performance, so that every business location operates at its best.”

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