As digital demand grows, so does the infrastructure behind it. And few systems are as critical or complex as those that support data center water treatment. From hyperscale campuses to edge computing sites, today’s data centers rely on high-performance cooling systems, chemical stability, and precise water quality management. But managing data center water isn’t just about keeping cooling equipment running, it’s also about avoiding costly downtime, protecting assets, and meeting growing sustainability goals.

This article, part of EAI‘s ongoing campaign “The Water Industry is All Industry” explores how proper water treatment strategies support data center cooling systems, reduce system degradation, and help data center operators maintain high performance levels. We’ll also examine the consequences of poor blowdown control, environmental risks, and the critical role that innovative solutions like blowdown reuse and real-time water monitoring play in achieving stable, compliant, and sustainable operations.

Understanding the Water Demand Behind Digital Infrastructure

While energy efficiency often dominates the conversation around data centers, water is just as vital and far less visible. Every day, data center water treatment supports the thermal systems that keep servers cool, protect sensitive equipment, and prevent catastrophic equipment failure. From cooling towers to heat exchangers and reverse osmosis systems, water touches nearly every part of the data center ecosystem.

In 2021, United States was recorded by Statista.com as a home to more than 2,600 data centers, a number that continues to grow with the rise of AI, cloud computing, and edge computing deployments. According to the U.S. International Trade Commission, these facilities are dispersed across nearly every state, and as these facilities scale up, so does their water usage. In many locations, data centers rank among the top local consumers of water, using significant amounts daily just to maintain system temperatures.

Water treatment becomes especially critical as water evaporates during cooling, leaving behind dissolved solids, minerals, and organic matter. These impurities must be managed to preserve heat transfer efficiency and prevent scale build up, biological growth, and corrosion — all of which reduce cooling efficiency and strain mechanical systems.

The challenge isn’t just finding enough water. It’s ensuring that water is properly treated, recycled where possible, and managed to maintain optimal performance under variable loads.

Why Water Treatment Is Foundational to Data Center Cooling

Cooling water treatment is essential to keeping data center cooling systems reliable, efficient, and compliant. At the heart of these cooling systems are cooling towers, which reject heat from chillers and maintain stable temperatures across server halls. But the water used in these towers doesn’t circulate forever. As it evaporates, it leaves behind total dissolved solids, salts, and other impurities that gradually concentrate in the cooling water loop.

Without proper water treatment solutions, these dissolved materials can trigger microbiological growth, and other elements which degrade cooling system performance and increase the risk of costly downtime.

This is where blowdown enters the picture: by removing a portion of this concentrated water, operators can manage TDS levels and protect system health. But blowdown isn’t a fix-all. It needs to be precisely calibrated. Excessive blowdown wastes large volumes of water and energy; too little leads to scale build up and chemical instability.

Effective data center water treatment solutions balance both ends of the spectrum. With properly optimized cycles of concentration, water consumption is reduced, heat exchange surfaces stay clean, and the facility can move closer to its sustainability goals. For data center operators, (especially those in drought-prone regions) this balance is more than best practice; it’s an operational imperative.

What Happens When Water Treatment Fails in Data Centers

Improper data center water treatment can quietly compromise the entire facility. When data center cooling systems operate with untreated or poorly managed water, the consequences stack up quickly: scale build up in cooling equipment, microbiological growth in piping networks, and corrosion throughout critical heat transfer surfaces.

These issues trigger cascading failures across data center operations. Overloaded chillers, clogged sand filters, or fouled resin bed components may force emergency cooling shutdowns of cooling systems or even a full system outage.

According to a study, over a third (39%) of data center outages are tied to cooling or power failures, and many originate from neglected cooling water treatment and water quality management. From biological growth in tower fill to mineral buildup in heat exchangers, untreated water erodes equipment efficiency and shortens lifespan.

Financially, the impact is staggering. A single cooling system outage can cost upwards of $600,000, factoring in lost productivity, emergency power activation, and equipment damage. And that doesn’t include reputational costs or service delivery penalties.

Preventing these failures requires more than reactive maintenance. It demands continuous monitoring of ph levels, dissolved solids, and water quality, paired with real-time chemical adjustments and proactive servicing. Data center operators must think of water treatment not as a back-end process, but as a core part of uptime protection.

The Interplay Between Water Treatment and Energy Stability

Modern data centers are not just energy-intensive but are also deeply interwoven with regional power and water systems. As these facilities scale, even minor water-related disruptions can ripple outward, affecting both internal system performance and broader grid stability.

Consider the case of northern Virginia’s “Data Center Alley” case where dozens of facilities switching to emergency power during a heatwave nearly destabilized the local grid. Events like these expose how data center cooling system failures, particularly during blowdown mismanagement, high-demand events, or unmonitored chemical conditions can strain both internal cooling loops and surrounding infrastructure.

When cooling water treatment solutions aren’t properly balanced or treated, emergency systems face additional stress. Backup diesel generators, for instance, produce extra heat and require their own cooling systems. If cooling tower fill is fouled or blowdown valves aren’t tuned for the transition, system performance deteriorates just as cooling demand spikes.

Inadequate center water treatment and failure to manage water quality at these moments can reduce heat transfer efficiency, cause temperature surges, or result in equipment throttling. And while the facility may recover, these cascading failures risk wider service disruptions or delayed restarts especially in high-density deployments or during data center decommissioning.

To keep data center operations resilient, water and power systems must be treated as a single interdependent ecosystem. A proactive water treatment plan ensures cooling readiness, reduces energy consumption, and supports smoother transitions between grid and backup systems.

Water Compliance and Sustainability Pressures on Data Centers

As data center water usage grows, so do the environmental and regulatory challenges that come with it. Uncontrolled cooling tower discharges can contribute to thermal pollution, water consumption penalties, and even permit violations. Facilities that discharge blowdown or treated effluent without monitoring total dissolved solids, ph levels, or residual treatment chemicals risk fines, surcharges, or restrictions on future expansion.

In drought-prone regions like the Southwest, environmental agencies now require advanced water treatment technologies to ensure that surface water, groundwater, or potable water sources are not contaminated or depleted.

Agencies like the EPA and ASCE now emphasize water stewardship alongside power efficiency. As sustainability becomes a C-suite priority, data centers are also under pressure to hit water sustainability benchmarks. Many are investing in reverse osmosis, UV disinfection, and ion exchange to reclaim and recycle water for non-potable cooling use — lowering net withdrawal volumes and reducing dependency on stressed water sources.

It’s a competitive factor and a reputational one. With EAI, data center operators gain more than protection from violations; they gain a partner in long-term sustainable solutions.

EAI’s Role in Data Center Water Treatment and System Reliability

At EAI Water, we understand that for the data center industry, downtime is a liability. That’s why our data center water treatment programs are engineered for resilience, efficiency, and compliance. We don’t just manage chemistry; we help safeguard uptime through fully integrated chemical and equipment strategies tailored to the complexities of data center cooling and utility infrastructure.

Our approach includes:

• Custom-formulated water treatment programs that optimize cooling tower cycles of concentration and reduce makeup water demand.
• Remote monitoring and routine service to ensure cooling water stays within the proper treatment parameters, supporting optimal performance and avoiding equipment failure.
• Blowdown reuse systems that reclaim and repurpose water for non-potable applications, minimizing discharge volume and helping meet regional sustainability goals.
• Advanced filtration technologies, including reverse osmosis, ion exchange, and sand filters, to support both system protection and regulatory compliance.

We also design and deliver industrial ultrafiltration systems (from compact skid-mounted RO units to enclosed container systems) that integrate seamlessly into high-demand environments. For sites that share infrastructure with power production, we offer complete water treatment solutions for boilers, turbines, and condenser systems.

Our team of engineers and chemists brings deep knowledge of water recovery, onsite reclamation, and reuse systems, helping data center operators reduce water usage, avoid surcharges, and maintain system integrity across cooling and process water networks.

As part of one of the largest independent water treatment firms in the Southwest U.S., EAI also brings proven emergency readiness and real-time response capabilities to every client relationship.

For more on how our power and data center expertise intersect, visit our Water Treatment for Energy and Power service page.

The Future of Data Center Water Treatment

At EAI, we know water is not just a resource, but it is a strategic asset. Whether it’s reclaiming purified water, preventing microbiological growth, or optimizing cooling efficiency, we help data center operators meet tomorrow’s challenges today — with solutions built for uptime, compliance, and sustainable impact.

Contact EAI to explore water treatment strategies that protect your systems and meet tomorrow’s demands.