Ok, can we actually cool data centers with our pee?

In a humorous ad, former Philadelphia Eagles player Jason Kelce teamed up with Liquid Death to suggest using human urine to cool AI data centers. The advertisement quipped, "Let's pee on computers together to save humanity!" While the commercial is just a joke, there is indeed a real method for cooling data centers with recycled water, which includes treated wastewater and sewage.

Michael Obradovitch, a data center expert, mentioned that alternative water sources like recycled water are already used to offset the demand for potable water.

To clarify, one should not literally contribute their urine to data centers, as it would require constant cleaning due to contaminants such as salts, urea, bacteria, and organic matter. However, if one were to pour urine through hot air for cooling, it would be an inefficient and impractical approach.

Currently, water treatment facilities use various methods to treat wastewater and sewage, including membrane bioreactors, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet light, and other techniques. These processes clean the water enough for industrial use, such as data center cooling. Dr. Greta Zornes, a water reuse specialist, explained that recycled water is used for cooling in various industries, including data centers, for several decades.

While recycled water can help reduce the burden on local potable water supplies, it requires proper infrastructure for treating large amounts of water. Obradovitch believes that the AI industry could help build this infrastructure, acting as a driving force for water treatment facilities. Some companies, like Meta, are already investing in wastewater infrastructure to support their data centers.

Additionally, policy changes, such as tax credits, could accelerate the adoption of recycled water infrastructure in data centers.