Abstract

This approach delivers measurable water risk reduction while maintaining thermal reliability and scalability for next-generation AI facilities

Artificial intelligence is accelerating a historic construction of high-density data centers assets that are both power and water intensive. In the United States, direct data-center water use was approximately 17.4 billion gallons in 2023 and is expected to rise in parallel with indirect (power-sector) water demands over the coming decade. As workloads concentrate in hot, arid regions, basin-level water risk escalates, making non-potable sourcing, water reuse, and circular heat recovery core design requirements rather than optional features.

This paper translates those constraints into an engineering playbook: (1) specify fit-for-purpose reclaimed water and closed-loop cooling; (2) deploy AI-enabled and digital-twin controls from the cooling loop through the reuse plant; (3) track Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE/WUE-Source) alongside Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) to manage energy-water trade-offs; and (4) minimize brine and enable district or process heat recovery where feasible. Generalized real case studies illustrate where this strategy has delivered sustained reductions in freshwater withdrawals and blowdown while maintaining thermal reliability and where it has lagged or faced pushback. Due to gaps in sitting, transparency, or reliance on potable supplies have limited outcomes. Collectively, the approach reduces water risk and preserves scalability for next-generation AI infrastructure.

About the Speaker

Luis Suarez, FLUOR

Luis Suarez is a seasoned Process and Specialty Engineer with 25+ years leading complex engineering across global energy and petrochemical projects. He holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Universidad Simón Bolívar (USB), Caracas, Venezuela, and completed graduate studies in Environmental Engineering at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB), Caracas, Venezuela. He delivers innovative, cost‑effective, and sustainability‑focused solutions in water and wastewater treatment, LNG, petrochemical and refinery systems. His leadership spans programs for Aramco, SABIC, ExxonMobil, and Phillips 66, guiding multi‑million‑dollar CAPEX/OPEX evaluations, vendor technology assessments, and rigorous process‑safety implementation. As Houston Lead Process Engineer (Utilities & Water SME) at Fluor Enterprises, he leads Pre‑FEED/FEED for mega‑projects in the Middle East and North America. His expertise includes offshore LNG utilities, advanced MBR/RO and near ZLD strategies, NPDES/TCEQ compliance, and reliability‑driven operations.