Greater Western Water’s Melton Recycled Water Plant is set to become the first in Victoria to supply recycled water to a data centre.
The surge in growth of data centres across Australia has raised questions about the power and water use the facilities but this partnership aims to develop a more sustainable solution.
The Mt Cottrell facility will provide Class A recycled water to Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) soon-to-be-built data centre in western Melbourne, where it will be used for cooling operations.
The announcement follows the release of the Victorian Government’s Industry Water Connection Guide, which aims to support industrial water users, including data centres, to work more closely with Victorian water corporations to improve water security. The guide also clarifies how the state’s existing regulatory and water planning framework operates.
Greater Western Water’s (GWW) Managing Director Cameron FitzGerald said planning for the water needs of data centres was an important part of ensuring reliable and affordable services as the region continues to grow and climate pressures intensify.
“We know data centres and large industrial users of water are increasingly looking for innovative ways to reduce their environmental footprint, and we’re keen to see more of them follow AWS’ lead in working with us to get connected to recycled water,” FitzGerald said.
AWS Head of Infrastructure and Energy Policy Australia and New Zealand, Matt O’Rourke, said the partnership demonstrated how collaboration could deliver environmental benefits for the wider community.
“Connecting a data centre to recycled water from day one of operations is a significant first for Victoria and AWS in Australia. Working closely with Greater Western Water to deliver recycled water to our new data centre in western Melbourne will help preserve millions of litres of drinking water annually for local communities,” O’Rourke said.
“We will continue to work closely with GWW to identify opportunities to partner on water replenishment projects in the community as part of AWS’s commitment to return more water to the community and the environment than it uses by 2030.”
The announcement comes as GWW prepares to begin the second stage of major upgrades to the Melton Recycled Water Plant, with contractor Guidera O’Connor set to begin construction on the $70 million project next year.
The upgrades will significantly increase the plant’s capacity and improve recycled water quality, helping GWW continue to support one of Australia’s fastest-growing regions with sustainable water services into the future.
