BOSTON — Gradiant, a global provider of advanced water and wastewater treatment technologies, has secured two new contracts to design and implement sustainable water systems at data centers in the United States and the Indo-Pacific. The projects, commissioned by leading global tech companies, highlight Gradiant’s expanding role in supporting the infrastructure behind artificial intelligence and cloud computing.
As the demand for AI grows, data centers—critical to powering advanced computing applications—are increasingly being built in arid, water-stressed regions. These facilities require vast amounts of water to cool servers and maintain operations, with a typical 100-megawatt data center in the U.S. consuming as much water daily as 6,500 households. Global water usage by data centers is expected to more than double by 2030, reaching an estimated 1,200 billion liters annually.
The two new projects will be located in some of the most water-challenged environments, reflecting a broader trend of tech companies pursuing energy and land availability while facing heightened scrutiny over environmental impact. With regulatory pressure and public concern growing, managing water use has become a central priority for data center developers.
Gradiant’s technologies aim to help these facilities dramatically reduce their freshwater needs and wastewater output. CEO Anurag Bajpayee emphasized the urgency of the issue, stating that “building a data center without a water strategy is not an option in today’s climate reality.” He added that the company is responding to client demands for systems that can function in drought-prone regions, eliminate wastewater, and scale alongside rapidly growing AI infrastructure.
The company offers a fully integrated approach that combines water recycling, artificial intelligence for operational efficiency, and advanced chemical treatments. Gradiant’s zero liquid discharge systems recover and reuse up to 99% of water onsite, reducing reliance on local water supplies. Its SmartOps AI technology monitors and optimizes water systems in real time to lower operating costs and avoid disruptions. Meanwhile, its CURE chemical formulations aim to reduce the environmental impact of traditional water treatment chemicals while improving reliability.
Chief Operating Officer Prakash Govindan said Gradiant’s unified platform offers customers “complete site-wide peace of mind,” integrating process technology, analytics, and chemical treatment through a single trusted partner. This eliminates the need for clients to manage multiple vendors while ensuring sustainability is not compromised.
With data centers forming the digital backbone of an AI-powered future, Gradiant’s role in enabling environmentally responsible growth is becoming increasingly critical. As demand for computing power accelerates, the company is positioning itself as a key innovator in water management for the tech sector.
