What do data centers use water for?

Data centers may use water for ultrasonic or steam humidification, cooling towers, evaporative cooling, chilled-water system makeup, certain liquid-cooling configurations, and facility maintenance. The exact uses and total water demand depend on the data center’s design, climate, cooling architecture, equipment, and operating conditions. Besco’s primary role is producing high-purity water for data center humidification.

Why does a data center need water?

Some data centers use water to maintain controlled humidity and remove heat generated by IT equipment. Humidification helps keep the facility within the environmental limits established for its equipment, while water-based cooling systems transfer or reject heat. Not every data center uses water in the same way. Its requirements depend on the systems installed at that facility.

What type of water should a data center humidifier use?

The humidifier manufacturer determines the required feed-water quality. Ultrasonic systems commonly require demineralized water with low conductivity because dissolved minerals can become airborne when the water is atomized. Steam humidifiers may use softened or RO-treated water to reduce scale and maintenance. Besco analyzes source water and equipment specifications before recommending a treatment system.

What causes data center water contamination?

Data center water contamination may originate in the source water, piping, tanks, or existing treatment equipment. Potential contaminants include hardness minerals, silica, dissolved salts, sediment, rust, chlorine, organic matter, microorganisms, and corrosion products. In ultrasonic humidification, dissolved minerals can enter the air as particulate matter. In steam humidifiers, they may concentrate inside the equipment and form scale.

What is data center wastewater?

Data center wastewater can include RO concentrate, softener regeneration discharge, steam-humidifier blowdown, cooling-tower blowdown, and water released during cleaning or maintenance. Each wastewater stream has different chemistry. Discharge and recovery options depend on the contaminants present, local requirements, and the intended reuse application.

Do data centers reuse water?

Some data centers treat and reuse cooling-tower blowdown, reclaimed water, or another compatible water source. Recovered water may be suitable for cooling-tower makeup or a different nonpotable facility use. Reuse is site-specific. The facility must account for water chemistry, required treatment, energy use, recovery rates, discharge restrictions, and the requirements of the equipment receiving the water.

Does Besco supply data center humidifiers or chillers?

No. Besco does not supply the humidifier or chiller itself. We design, install, and support the water treatment equipment that produces high-purity or properly conditioned water for applicable systems.

Can Besco service an existing water treatment system?

Yes. Besco services, repairs, upgrades, and optimizes commercial water treatment equipment from other manufacturers. You do not need a Besco-built system to receive maintenance or emergency support.

How is a commercial RO system sized for a data center?

A commercial RO system is sized according to required treated-water flow, daily usage, peak humidifier demand, source-water quality, target conductivity, storage capacity, and recovery rate. Besco also accounts for pretreatment, redundancy, available space, and future expansion before designing the commercial RO system.

How often should RO membranes be replaced?

Many commercial systems use two to three years as a general planning range, but membrane life depends on source-water quality, pretreatment, operating hours, recovery rate, and maintenance. Besco monitors treated-water flow, conductivity, salt rejection, and pressure drop. Membranes should be replaced when cleaning can no longer restore the required performance.

What happens if humidifier water conductivity is too high?

High conductivity indicates that the water contains more dissolved ions than intended. In an ultrasonic humidifier, these minerals can enter the air as fine particles and leave dust or deposits on equipment and surfaces. Higher mineral levels can also increase scale and maintenance in some steam humidifiers. Because acceptable conductivity varies by humidifier type and manufacturer, the treatment system must be designed around the equipment’s specifications.

Do data centers need redundant RO systems?

Not every data center needs redundant RO treatment. However, facilities that cannot tolerate an interruption in humidifier water may use duty-and-standby systems, N+1 capacity, separate treatment trains, or enough stored water to maintain operation during service or equipment failure. The right approach depends on uptime requirements, peak demand, available storage, recovery time, and the operational risk of losing treated water.

Can Besco integrate with building automation systems?

Yes, when the selected controls and project specifications support integration. Besco can design PLC-controlled water treatment systems that communicate operating status, flow, conductivity, tank levels, pressure, and alarms to a building automation system. Available control points and communication methods must be coordinated with the facility’s controls team during design. Besco has previously built a treatment system that could be monitored and controlled through a customer’s BMS, as described in the Gerber Baby Products case study.

How long does data center water treatment installation typically take?

How long it takes to install data center water treatment equipment depends on system size, treatment stages, site readiness, utility connections, controls integration, and commissioning requirements. A skid-mounted system connected to prepared utilities generally requires less on-site work than a custom, multi-stage installation. Besco establishes the project schedule after evaluating the facility and approving the system design. Our team coordinates installation and planned shutdowns with facility personnel to minimize disruption.

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Data Center Water Treatment for Humidification Systems

Home » Industries Served » Data Center Water Treatment for Humidification Systems

Data centers depend on precise environmental control. When a data center uses ultrasonic or steam humidification, the water supplied to that equipment ultimately enters the controlled environment as mist or vapor. Therefore, that water needs to be pure.

Minerals and other contaminants in untreated water can become airborne dust, create scale inside humidification equipment, clog small components, and increase maintenance requirements. An off-the-shelf filter will not necessarily solve these problems because many of the contaminants involved are dissolved in the water.

Besco Commercial designs, installs, and supports custom data center water treatment systems that produce high-purity water for humidification. We analyze the feed water, review the humidifier manufacturer’s requirements, and engineer a complete treatment process around the facility’s required water quality and capacity.

Besco supplies the water treatment equipment—not the humidifier or chiller itself. To partner with Besco Commercial for data center humidification water purification, call us or contact us.

Why Data Centers Require Humidification

Data centers must keep temperature, relative humidity, and dew point within their equipment’s operating limits. Conditions that are too dry increase electrostatic discharge risks, while excessive moisture can lead to short circuits and corrosion. Because those limits vary by facility and hardware, humidity control must follow project and equipment specifications rather than a universal set point.

How Poor-Quality Humidification Water Creates Problems

Ultrasonic and steam humidifiers handle water differently, and contaminants in the feed water create different problems in each system.

Ultrasonic Humidification Can Create Mineral Dust

Ultrasonic humidifiers use high-frequency vibration to atomize water into an extremely fine mist. The water droplets evaporate into the surrounding air, but dissolved minerals do not disappear with them.

Calcium, magnesium, silica, and other dissolved solids can remain behind as fine airborne particles. This effect is commonly called dusting or white dust. The residue can settle on racks, sensors, electronic equipment, floors, and surrounding surfaces.

Standard sediment filtration does not remove these dissolved minerals. Preventing mineral dust typically requires demineralization through reverse osmosis, deionization, or a combination of treatment technologies.

Steam Humidification Can Develop Scale

Steam humidifiers heat water and release the resulting vapor into the air. Most dissolved minerals remain inside the steam-generating equipment as water evaporates.

Hardness and silica can become increasingly concentrated and form scale on heating elements and other internal surfaces. That accumulation can reduce efficiency, interfere with consistent steam output, and increase cleaning or blowdown requirements. Severe deposits may also shorten the service life of steam humidifier components.

Steam humidifiers do not all require the same feedwater quality. Depending on the source water and the manufacturer’s specifications, the appropriate solution could include softening, reverse osmosis, or another treatment configuration.

Besco evaluates the equipment requirements before selecting the treatment process. We do not assume that every humidifier needs the same system or the highest possible level of purification.

Steps We Take To Produce High-Purity Water for Data Center Humidification

A dependable high-purity water system is usually a sequence of treatment stages that takes the source water from its current condition to the purity required by the humidifier. Besco customizes that sequence around measurable water chemistry and operating requirements. Here’s an overview of each part of our process that ensures clean water for data center humidification.

1. Water Testing Defines the Treatment Requirements

We always begin with commercial water testing to determine what is present in your data center humidifier’s feed water. The analysis may measure:
- Hardness
- Silica
- Total dissolved solids
- Conductivity
- Chlorine
- Iron
- Manganese
- pH
- Suspended matter
- Other relevant parameters
Besco then compares the results with the water-quality and conductivity limits established by the humidifier manufacturer.
2. Pretreatment Protects the Purification System

Pretreatment removes or controls contaminants that could foul membranes or damage downstream equipment. Potential pretreatment steps include:
- Sediment filtration to remove larger suspended particles
- Activated carbon filtration to remove chlorine that could damage certain RO membranes
- Water softening to reduce calcium and magnesium hardness, limiting the potential for scale on the membrane surface
When the source water contains fine suspended matter, colloids, or microorganisms that threaten downstream equipment, Besco may incorporate ultrafiltration water treatment. These processes prepare the water for purification. They do not necessarily produce water pure enough for ultrasonic humidification on their own.
3. Reverse Osmosis Removes Most Dissolved Minerals

Commercial reverse osmosis systems use pressure and semipermeable membranes to separate most dissolved salts and other contaminants from the product water.

For ultrasonic humidification, RO addresses the dissolved minerals that could otherwise become airborne dust. For steam humidification, reducing the mineral load can limit scale, cleaning, and blowdown.

Besco designs each RO system around the feed-water chemistry, required production rate, recovery goals, incoming pressure, available space, and humidifier demand. Proper sizing is essential. A system that cannot keep up during peak humidification demand may leave the facility without its required water supply.

4. Deionization Provides Additional Polishing

Reverse osmosis may not always produce water with conductivity low enough to meet the data center humidifier’s specification. When additional mineral removal is necessary, Besco can install one of its deionized (DI) water systems after RO.

DI uses ion-exchange resin to remove charged contaminants that remain in the water. Depending on volume and operating requirements, Besco may recommend on-site DI equipment, exchange tanks, or electrodeionization (EDI).

DI exchange tanks can support lower-volume applications, supplemental capacity, or facilities that do not want to regenerate resin onsite. EDI can provide continuous polishing for larger operations that require a consistent high-purity supply without routine tank exchanges or chemical regeneration.

Besco selects the polishing method according to the finished-water requirement, flow rate, operating schedule, and total cost of ownership.
5. UV Treatment Can Support Microbial Control

When the system design requires an additional microbial barrier, Besco may incorporate a commercial UV water treatment system. UV treatment exposes water to ultraviolet light that inactivates susceptible microorganisms without adding treatment chemicals. It may be installed at an appropriate point before storage, after storage, or within the distribution process.

UV does not remove hardness, silica, or dissolved salts. It cannot replace RO or DI when the objective is preventing mineral dust. Its role is to address a different water-quality risk.
6. Storing and Distributing Water

The treatment system must do more than produce water of the correct purity. It must deliver enough water to the humidifier when demand is highest.

Besco can incorporate product-water storage tanks, distribution pumps, controls, recirculation, and final filtration where required. These components are configured to maintain water quality and provide the necessary pressure and flow at the humidification equipment.

Storage and distribution also affect system resilience. Proper capacity may allow the humidifier to continue receiving water while the RO system cycles, undergoes maintenance, or responds to a temporary increase in demand.

Sizing and Configuring Data Center Humidification Water Systems

Selecting the treatment technologies is only part of the design. Besco must also determine how large the system should be, how it will fit into the facility, and how it will maintain water supply during service or changing demand.

Our engineers evaluate factors such as:

The humidifier type and manufacturer’s feed-water specification
Required finished-water conductivity
Source-water chemistry and possible seasonal changes
Average and peak humidification demand
Product-water storage requirements
Redundancy and backup capacity
Available space and maintenance access
Distribution distance, pressure, and flow
Monitoring and control requirements
RO recovery and concentrate volume
Current demand and planned facility expansion

These factors determine whether the facility needs a straightforward RO system or a multistage system with pretreatment, polishing, storage, and redundant equipment.

An undersized system may fail to keep up with peak demand. Inadequate storage can leave the humidifier without water during maintenance. A poorly planned equipment layout can make routine filter or membrane replacement unnecessarily disruptive.

Besco engineers these considerations into the system before installation.

Repairs and Maintenance to Maintain Your Data Center’s High-Purity Water Supply

Water quality and equipment performance can change over time. Filters accumulate sediment, membranes foul, DI resin becomes exhausted, and instruments require calibration.

A data center should monitor the performance indicators relevant to its treatment system. These may include product-water conductivity, flow, pressure differential, membrane rejection, tank levels, and UV intensity. Trending this information helps identify declining performance before it affects the humidifier.

Routine service may include:

Filter replacement
Membrane cleaning
DI tank exchange
UV lamp service
System sanitation
Instrument calibration
Inspection of pumps and controls

Besco provides repairs, preventive maintenance, and 24/7 emergency service for your data center water treatment system. Our technicians work on all makes and models of commercial water treatment equipment, including systems designed or installed by another company.

Aerial drone video of a large data center building exterior

Why Data Centers Partner With Besco Commercial

Besco has installed data center water treatment systems for major companies, including HP and Ford. We understand that equipment supporting mission-critical infrastructure must deliver consistent water quality without becoming another source of operational risk.

Besco brings more than six decades of commercial and industrial water treatment experience and over 300 years of combined team knowledge to every project. Our capabilities include:

Water testing
In-house custom engineering
Equipment installation
Commissioning
Preventive maintenance
Repairs
Ongoing system optimization

We have the technical and operational capacity to support everything from DI exchange service to complex, continuously operating high-purity water systems.

Server room maintaining high data storage capacity with modern technology

Data Center Water Treatment FAQ

What do data centers use water for?

Data centers may use water for ultrasonic or steam humidification, cooling towers, evaporative cooling, chilled-water system makeup, certain liquid-cooling configurations, and facility maintenance.

The exact uses and total water demand depend on the data center’s design, climate, cooling architecture, equipment, and operating conditions. Besco’s primary role is producing high-purity water for data center humidification.
Why does a data center need water?

Some data centers use water to maintain controlled humidity and remove heat generated by IT equipment. Humidification helps keep the facility within the environmental limits established for its equipment, while water-based cooling systems transfer or reject heat.

Not every data center uses water in the same way. Its requirements depend on the systems installed at that facility.
What type of water should a data center humidifier use?

The humidifier manufacturer determines the required feed-water quality. Ultrasonic systems commonly require demineralized water with low conductivity because dissolved minerals can become airborne when the water is atomized.

Steam humidifiers may use softened or RO-treated water to reduce scale and maintenance. Besco analyzes source water and equipment specifications before recommending a treatment system.
What causes data center water contamination?

Data center water contamination may originate in the source water, piping, tanks, or existing treatment equipment. Potential contaminants include hardness minerals, silica, dissolved salts, sediment, rust, chlorine, organic matter, microorganisms, and corrosion products.

In ultrasonic humidification, dissolved minerals can enter the air as particulate matter. In steam humidifiers, they may concentrate inside the equipment and form scale.
What is data center wastewater?

Data center wastewater can include RO concentrate, softener regeneration discharge, steam-humidifier blowdown, cooling-tower blowdown, and water released during cleaning or maintenance.

Each wastewater stream has different chemistry. Discharge and recovery options depend on the contaminants present, local requirements, and the intended reuse application.
Do data centers reuse water?

Some data centers treat and reuse cooling-tower blowdown, reclaimed water, or another compatible water source. Recovered water may be suitable for cooling-tower makeup or a different nonpotable facility use.

Reuse is site-specific. The facility must account for water chemistry, required treatment, energy use, recovery rates, discharge restrictions, and the requirements of the equipment receiving the water.
Does Besco supply data center humidifiers or chillers?

No. Besco does not supply the humidifier or chiller itself. We design, install, and support the water treatment equipment that produces high-purity or properly conditioned water for applicable systems.
Can Besco service an existing water treatment system?

Yes. Besco services, repairs, upgrades, and optimizes commercial water treatment equipment from other manufacturers. You do not need a Besco-built system to receive maintenance or emergency support.
How is a commercial RO system sized for a data center?

A commercial RO system is sized according to required treated-water flow, daily usage, peak humidifier demand, source-water quality, target conductivity, storage capacity, and recovery rate. Besco also accounts for pretreatment, redundancy, available space, and future expansion before designing the commercial RO system.
How often should RO membranes be replaced?

Many commercial systems use two to three years as a general planning range, but membrane life depends on source-water quality, pretreatment, operating hours, recovery rate, and maintenance. Besco monitors treated-water flow, conductivity, salt rejection, and pressure drop. Membranes should be replaced when cleaning can no longer restore the required performance.
What happens if humidifier water conductivity is too high?

High conductivity indicates that the water contains more dissolved ions than intended. In an ultrasonic humidifier, these minerals can enter the air as fine particles and leave dust or deposits on equipment and surfaces.

Higher mineral levels can also increase scale and maintenance in some steam humidifiers. Because acceptable conductivity varies by humidifier type and manufacturer, the treatment system must be designed around the equipment’s specifications.
Do data centers need redundant RO systems?

Not every data center needs redundant RO treatment. However, facilities that cannot tolerate an interruption in humidifier water may use duty-and-standby systems, N+1 capacity, separate treatment trains, or enough stored water to maintain operation during service or equipment failure.

The right approach depends on uptime requirements, peak demand, available storage, recovery time, and the operational risk of losing treated water.
Can Besco integrate with building automation systems?

Yes, when the selected controls and project specifications support integration. Besco can design PLC-controlled water treatment systems that communicate operating status, flow, conductivity, tank levels, pressure, and alarms to a building automation system.

Available control points and communication methods must be coordinated with the facility’s controls team during design. Besco has previously built a treatment system that could be monitored and controlled through a customer’s BMS, as described in the Gerber Baby Products case study.
How long does data center water treatment installation typically take?

How long it takes to install data center water treatment equipment depends on system size, treatment stages, site readiness, utility connections, controls integration, and commissioning requirements. A skid-mounted system connected to prepared utilities generally requires less on-site work than a custom, multi-stage installation.

Besco establishes the project schedule after evaluating the facility and approving the system design. Our team coordinates installation and planned shutdowns with facility personnel to minimize disruption.

Partner With Besco for Pure Water for Data Center Humidification

A data center humidification system can only perform as intended when its feed water meets the manufacturer’s specifications. Inadequate treatment can create airborne mineral dust, cause scale inside equipment, increase maintenance, and undermine water-supply reliability.

Besco begins with source-water analysis and reviews the required conductivity, peak flow, storage, redundancy, available space, controls, and operational risks. Our team then engineers the treatment system around the humidifier and facility’s uptime requirements.

Whether you are planning a new facility, upgrading existing equipment, or correcting inconsistent water quality, Besco provides support from design and installation through commissioning, preventive maintenance, and emergency service.

Contact Besco Commercial to schedule a water analysis and discuss high-purity water treatment for your data center humidification system.