Technology

Veolia and Amazon deploy recycled water systems for data centers

17:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Zoom

Veolia and Amazon have announced a partnership to develop recycled water systems for cooling data centers in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The initiative aims to reduce the growing demand for freshwater driven by cloud infrastructure and artificial intelligence workloads.

Under the agreement, Veolia will install modular and containerized treatment units capable of converting wastewater from nearby treatment plants into industrial cooling water. The first site is scheduled to begin operations in 2027. It will become the first Amazon data center in Mississippi to rely on recycled water for cooling. Once fully operational, the system is expected to save more than 314 million liters of drinking water each year, equivalent to the annual consumption of about 760 U.S. households. The approach also reduces pressure on local groundwater and municipal supply systems.

Amazon’s existing facilities in Mississippi already use outside air for cooling roughly 91 percent of the year. Water-based cooling is limited to periods of high temperatures. The integration of recycled water is designed to address peak demand while maintaining efficiency. Veolia’s modular design allows the system to be replicated across other Amazon data centers globally, supporting broader deployment if the model proves effective.

The partnership also includes a technological component led by Amazon Web Services. AWS will support Veolia in developing artificial intelligence tools for real time optimization, predictive maintenance, and operational management across its water treatment network. These systems aim to improve performance through automated analysis, inventory management, and field operations support.

The project comes as Amazon expands its data center footprint in Mississippi, where it has outlined investment plans totaling $25 billion and the creation of around 2,000 jobs. The initiative aligns with Amazon’s target to become “water positive” by 2030, meaning it aims to replenish more water than it consumes in its direct operations. As demand for AI computing grows, water usage by data centers has become a focus for regulators and local communities, increasing pressure on companies to adopt sustainable resource management strategies.