Hyperscale Data Center – Northern Virginia

The Challenge

In 2018, a leading Hyperscale Data Center operating across Ashburn, Sterling, and Manassas, Virginia, faced a critical challenge: maintaining the safety and efficiency of its evaporative cooling system. With over 30 buildings and a total power capacity exceeding 600 MW, the facility relied on Direct Evaporative Cooling (Direct Adiabatic Cooling [DAC]) from Silent-Aire. However, like all condenser water systems, these cooling units were susceptible to corrosion and microbial contamination, particularly during idle periods. The presence of stagnant water increased the risk of Legionella growth, posing a serious threat to operational safety and compliance.

The Solution

To mitigate these risks, the data center partnered with Chemstar WATER for expert service and maintenance of its evaporative cooling system. Chemstar WATER implemented a comprehensive water treatment program, which included:

• Maintenance and servicing of biocide delivery systems to effectively control and mitigate Legionella risk.
• Routine sampling and analysis of data center make-up water to ensure compliance with industry standards to control scaling and corrosion.
• Winterization and de-winterization of water tanks and treatment equipment to maintain optimal performance year-round.
• Strategic consultation on improving Water Usage Effectiveness (WUE) and Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) by optimizing make-up and blowdown water processes.
• Maintenance of RO systems, on-site hypochlorite generator skid systems.
• Sterilization of the water storage tanks using chemical or thermal methods.

The Results

Through Chemstar WATER’s proactive approach, the data center achieved significant improvements in microbiological and corrosion control. The enhanced treatment program ensured the reliability and safety of the evaporative cooling system, allowing the facility to maintain peak operational efficiency. Additionally, the reduction in microbial contamination and corrosion risk helped prevent costly equipment failures and unplanned downtime, ultimately saving the data center operator both time and money.

By addressing critical water treatment challenges, Chemstar WATER played a key role in safeguarding the data center’s infrastructure, enabling it to provide uninterrupted, secure hosting services for its customers.