Data centers are the foundation of our digital society. Increasingly, warnings are being issued that water will become the new bottleneck for their continuity. This is no longer a hypothetical risk: drought, pollution, and policy changes make it clear that large-scale water consumers, such as water-cooled data centers, must break their dependence. Yet these systems have an advantage: they use energy more efficiently than fully air-cooled alternatives. The challenge is therefore not that water is used, but how we use it in a circular way.
The white paper Water Usage in Data Centers, published last year by the Dutch Data Center Association and Pathema, explains this opportunity. The document shows how the sector can make the transition from linear consumption to circular strategies, in which reuse and alternative sources are central. It is about more than efficiency: it is about security, resilience, and future-proof operations.
A good example of this is the Industrial Vortex Generator (IVG). This technology replaces chemical treatment with physical processes. This structurally prevents limescale, corrosion, and microbiological growth without the use of chemicals. The result: cooling water can be used safely and repeatedly, the water footprint is drastically reduced, and dependence on drinking water is greatly reduced.
The white paper outlines the route to circular cooling water in three steps: from filtration and treatment to recovery and reuse. More importantly, the technology is not something for tomorrow, but can already be applied today. Whereas traditional systems still consider water a consumable, circular cooling proves that the same liter of water can deliver value time and time again.
The conclusion is clear: water management is becoming an even more strategic issue for data centers. The resources and technology to make the switch are there. So is the urgency. In the white paper, you will discover how vision can be turned into action.
Download the white paper here.