Article | 5 Reasons Why Water Treatment is Critical in Data Centers

It is necessary to find a partner that provides you with the right solution for water treatment in data centers. NCH Asia provides a turnkey and cutting-edge solution under Chem-Aqua specialization, which comprises a comprehensive range of products, services, and patented equipment to optimize water usage in data centers.

5 Reasons Why Water Treatment is Critical in Data Centers

There are 5000+ data centers in the world that collect, store, process, distribute, and provide data backup and recovery on a 24/7 basis. While there is no doubt that data centers are ultra-critical for cloud computing and networking in every sector, they pose specific challenges – water and energy consumption being the major ones.

Data centers consume billions of gallons of water every day for two primary purposes:

• Directly for cooling
• Indirectly for electricity generation

Unavailability of water can cause overheating of data center infrastructure, loss of data, and business interruption. However, they also worsen the water stress situation and environmental harm for the planet at the same time.

In such a scenario, a robust water treatment solution can significantly contribute to the water conservation efforts without adversely impacting the business continuity. Let’s understand the benefits of water treatment for data centers.

• Reduce Water Consumption and Wastage

According to a report, the global data center industry is expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 2% by 2025. It will be driven by increasing demand for artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Needless to say, it will further create water stress around the world.

A water treatment solution can recommend efficient usage and recycling of water, thereby reducing both water consumption and wastage.

• Foster Environment Sustainability

The water consumption in data centers results in various types of biological activities. It also brings tons of debris, scale, and unwanted pollutants. These factors create environmental hazards on a massive scale.

Water treatment can lessen the impact of data centers on the planet by recommending appropriate solutions and alternative water sources.

• Meet Regulatory Compliances

A majority of data centers use potable or freshwater. It directly translates into the shortage of water in the communities and the deterioration of the environment. Hence, several countries have enforced stringent regulations regarding the setup and management of data centers to address water consumption and climate change issues and meet their sustainability targets.

In the wake of these environmental laws, it becomes imperative for data centers to consider water treatment solutions.

• Prevent Equipment Failure

Water has complex chemistry in terms of hardness, pH, alkalinity, and other minerals inherent to water. It needs to be treated appropriately, or else it can cause issues like scale, corrosions, stagnant water, deadlegs, biofilms, and microbiological growth in the equipment. If this happens, the equipment will run at lower efficiency and become vulnerable to frequent breakdowns.

Water treatment can improve water quality, prevent occurrences of equipment failure and ensure that operations run smoothly.

It is very common for data centers to have multiple standby equipment (2N, N+1, …) as a form of their back-ups to support any equipment failure. However, this standby equipment is also prone to stagnant water, deadlegs and corrosion. An adequate water treatment program can help mitigate these problems to cause any failure.

• Decrease Costs

Data centers incur several variable and non-variable costs on a routine basis, and water-related costs add to the balance sheet. So, even small savings in water usage can have a significant impact on cost control.

Water treatment solutions can cut down the water cost and save service providers from incurring losses during unplanned outages of data centers due to water-related issues.

Finding the Right Solution

It is necessary to find a partner that provides you with the right solution for water treatment in data centers. NCH Asia provides a turnkey and cutting-edge solution under Chem-Aqua specialization, which comprises a comprehensive range of products, services, and patented equipment to optimize water usage in data centers.

Get in touch with NCH Asia today for an in-depth analysis of your data center water treatment requirements and collaborate for holistic solutions.