BLACK & VEATCH
COMMUNITY IMPACT
A modern hyperscale facility might consume millions of gallons daily for cooling while the surrounding community faces drought restrictions. The optics alone create problems, but the underlying resource competition poses bigger questions about sustainable development and community impact. How can data centre campuses justify massive water consumption for computing when residents can’ t water their gardens?
Heather Cheslek, Global Industrial Water Solutions Leader at Black & Veatch, sees this tension regularly.
“ Water consumption is a huge concern,” she says.“ We have several clients that are looking at various ways that they could improve efficiencies within the cooling system itself.”
Site selection has evolved accordingly. Where operators once prioritised connectivity and power availability, water assessments now carry equal weight. Mikeal Vincent, Client Account Manager in Black & Veatch’ s Technology and
58 August 2025