By Danial Dzulkifly
CYBERJAYA, Jan 21 — The National Water Services Commission (SPAN) has raised serious concerns about Malaysia’s approach to data centre development, warning that the facilities’ reliance on potable water could trigger a water crisis.
SPAN chairman Charles Santiago said while he understands the need for the country to attract more data centre investments, the current approach of using precious treated water is unsustainable.
“Malaysia is pursuing data centre development in the most unsustainable way possible — using fresh drinking water.
“Without mandatory requirements for alternative water sources, we’re heading towards a serious water crisis,” he said in a press conference at SPAN’s headquarters here today.
Santiago stressed that local councils must evaluate their capacity to sustain these operations before approving projects.
“Alternative water sources like rainwater harvesting and recycled water from IWK (Indah Water Konsortium) sewage plants must become mandatory,” he said, adding that industries must adopt alternative water sources in the next three to five years.
Data centres require high water supply to cool their servers and other electronic equipment.
Santiago said climate change and unpredictable weather have put added pressure on utility companies to supply clean water.
In view of this, he said data centres projects must consider factors such as the availability of raw water sources, reducing dependence on treated water, the feasibility of alternative water sources, and the availability of water supply infrastructure and investment.
For the longer term, SPAN proposed:
— Using reclaimed water, such as treated effluent from sewage treatment plants, for non-consumable purposes i.e. cooling.
— Employing more efficient cooling technologies to minimise water consumption.
— Harvesting rainwater to support data centre operations;
— Adopting a cycles-of-concentration system that processes and reuses water within data centres, reducing dependence on fresh water.
— Monitoring and measuring water usage in real time to identify areas that need improvement and enhance efficiency.
