Data Center Industrial Reuse Water Treatment Plant

Black & Veatch was retained by a major confidential technology client to complete the design, procurement and construction of a new 1.4 mgd Industrial Reuse Water Treatment Plant (IRWTP) in Washington. The facility includes lime clarification, ultrafiltration (UF), high efficiency softeners, reverse osmosis (RO), blending, distribution stations and storage. The city is home to over 60 megawatts of server farms for major data center companies. The city is working with one of these companies to develop an IRWTP. The IRWTP will ultimately treat the city’s existing IRWTP’s secondary effluent stream to eliminate discharge outfall to the receiving waters. At the same time, the IRWTP will treat the effluent from the wastewater treatment plant for non-potable water supply for use in the data center’s industrial cooling systems.

Black & Veatch’s responsibilities included project management, pre-construction activities (development of the long-lead equipment package, construction schedule, GMP, and planning for the integration and commissioning of the reuse facility), and overall design and construction.

Portions of the overall IRWTP have already been purchased or are in operation using city industrial water (e.g., UF, high efficiency softening, and RO). This equipment was provided based on previous designs prepared by other engineering firms.

Marshalling Resources to Get the Job Done

The construction market in the city was stretched thin, with many resources focused on the Data Centers themselves. Black & Veatch used its contracting network to pull in subcontractors from outside the region to meet the tight timelines. Resources were on site within weeks to start and worked extended hours to complete the project on time.

From Concept to Reality in 14 Months

This fast-track project went from design concept to project development through construction in 14 months. A phased construction approach was implemented to assist with meeting state-mandated requirements. Black & Veatch was responsible for all aspects of the design, construction, safety, and start-up of the facilities. Effective and well-managed collaboration among the City, the data center team, and the PDB team was essential to smooth project implementation.