Water

Reducing Water Impact in Critical Digital Infrastructure 

At Pure DC, we believe that building a digital future should not come at the expense of the planet’s most precious resource. That’s why we’ve made water stewardship a core part of our sustainability strategy, with efficiency and innovation embedded into every new project. 

Water use in data centres has come under increasing scrutiny. But there are lingering misconceptions about the cooling methods of modern digital infrastructure. 

The recent techUK report, Understanding Data Centre Water Use in England highlights that commercial data centres are not intensive water users compared to other industries. In fact, many modern sites use no more water than an average UK household. Over half already deploy waterless cooling systems, while 89% either measure their water use or rely on closed-loop cooling systems.  

At Pure DC, we are proud to be at the forefront of this transition, designing and building data centres that significantly minimise operational water demand through closed-loop cooling, rainwater harvesting and targeted use of potable water.

Smarter cooling, lower demand 

Many older sites still rely on evaporative cooling, drawing heavily on potable water. Our sites are designed around closed-loop systems that avoid drawing on local supplies and instead use air-cooled free-chilling to maintain performance. This approach recirculates water through sealed systems, minimising evaporative losses and requiring only minor top-ups. 

At Brent Cross in London, we are going even further – demonstrating how infrastructure and natural systems can work hand in hand. The new extension to our campus will be enveloped in 750,000 plants to form one of the world’s largest living walls. Here, we are pioneering the use of biochar, a carbon-rich material that retains water in soil. This is a first for a living wall, and early trials show it can reduce irrigation needs by 60–70%, making a dramatic difference to long-term water use. 

We are also working to eliminate water use in humidification processes wherever possible, removing yet another traditional drain on natural resources.  

Safeguarding community resources 

These measures are about more than efficiency; they are about resilience. By reducing dependence on potable water, we help safeguard community resources. By harvesting rainwater for irrigation and sourcing renewable power through green PPAs, we shrink both our direct and indirect water footprints. Our design target of Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) below 0.001 l/kWh sets a new benchmark – over a thousand times lower than some open-loop systems, and far beyond voluntary industry standards. 

The wider sector is also moving in this direction. Initiatives such as the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact commit operators to tighter water efficiency goals, while standards like ISO 46001 provide structured frameworks for best practice.  

A water-smart digital future 

Together, these measures enable Pure DC campuses to operate with one of the lowest water footprints possible, delivering capacity for cloud and AI workloads while conserving a critical natural resource.  

But sustainability is more than just technology; curiosity, innovation and responsibility guide every decision we make, ensuring digital progress and environmental care go hand in hand. 

Water may not yet dominate the headlines in the way carbon does, but sustainable growth in digital infrastructure depends on it. At Pure DC, we are committed to proving that data centres can power the future while protecting the planet’s most precious resources.

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