Water Reuse Systems for Data Centers
Your cooling towers evaporate 80% of what they withdraw.
The other 20% doesn’t have to go down the sewer.
The Challenge for Developers
The constraint isn't water it's sewer capacity and discharge limits
Securing a water supply is rarely what delays a data center. The harder question is where the water goes afterward.
Municipal sewer systems have finite capacity, and many cannot absorb the continuous blowdown from a large cooling plant without costly upgrades. Discharge limits add another layer: concentration, temperature and flow caps can restrict how much a facility is allowed to send out.
Our Solution
Onsite MBR treatment and reuse
reUse integrates Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) technology into compact, modular systems built to sit next to the facility they serve.
How the closed loop works
Strategic Advantage
What reUse delivers
One team, four services, in the order a project needs them. You work with a single partner from approvals to daily operation, not with an equipment vendor.
Permitting
We prepare and manage the regulatory path for onsite treatment and reuse, coordinating with state and local agencies.
Design
Compact, modular process design sized to your flows, your footprint and your phasing plan.
Construction
We build and commission the system, with schedules planned around your site’s critical path.
Operations
reUse can operate the plant after startup, so your team stays focused on running the data center.
Case study
Forest Glen is not a data center, but it solved the same engineering problem: a capacity-constrained site, a tight footprint, and no room for downtime.
The challenge: the existing plant was operating beyond its capacity. The new facility had to fit a compact area and be built without interrupting the plant already in service.
The solution: a new MBR system with partially buried concrete tanks, fitting in a 75′ × 75′ area. The existing plant kept running during construction, and the treated water is now reused for community irrigation.
Siting and permitting for data centers
Permitting an onsite treatment plant is often the longest-lead item in a water reuse strategy, and requirements vary by state, county and utility. Getting it right early protects your schedule.
- Identify the applicable regulatory framework for treatment, reuse and any remaining discharge
- Coordinate with agencies and the local utility from the start of the project
- Evaluate site layout and footprint for a compact, modular plant
- Align permit milestones with your design and construction schedule
- Define effluent quality targets tied to the intended reuse
- Expanding urban areas without existing sewer access.
The Impact
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions about onsite water reuse, treatment and permitting for data centers.
How much water can an onsite reuse system recover from a data center?
It depends on your cooling design, cycles of concentration and wastewater streams. reUse sizes the system around your actual flows and reuse targets during feasibility.
What water quality is required for cooling tower makeup?
It depends on your cooling equipment and its specifications. We design the treatment train to meet them, adding polishing steps such as disinfection or reverse osmosis when needed.
Can data center cooling water be recycled or reused?
Yes. Blowdown and other facility wastewater can be treated onsite and reused as cooling tower makeup or for other non-potable uses, once it meets the required specification.
How long does it take to permit an onsite treatment plant for a data center?
Timelines vary by state, jurisdiction and project complexity. Starting the process during site selection is the best way to protect your schedule.
Does reUse operate the plant after construction?
Yes. reUse can operate the plant after startup as part of its turnkey model, or support your team if you prefer to run it yourselves.
Why use MBR technology for a data center?
MBR combines biological treatment and membrane filtration in a compact footprint, delivering consistent effluent quality where space and discharge capacity are limited.
Will onsite reuse reduce what we send to the sewer?
Yes. Reusing water onsite cuts both the volume you withdraw from the utility and the volume you discharge, easing sewer capacity and discharge limits.
Our team is ready to help
Talk to our permitting team
Planning a data center and worried about sewer capacity or discharge limits? Tell us about your site and we'll outline what an onsite reuse system could look like.