Nomads at the Summit: Waste Heat to Water - The Path Towards Water Positive Data Centers

In this DCF Trends-Nomads at the Summit Podcast episode, Matt Grandbois, Vice President at AirJoule, introduces a game-changing approach to one of the data center industry’s most pressing challenges: water sustainability. As power-hungry, high-density environments collide with growing water scarcity concerns, Grandbois lays out a compelling vision for water-positive data centers—facilities that produce more water than they consume. Leveraging AirJoule’s advanced atmospheric water harvesting technology, he explains how waste heat, typically seen as a problem to mitigate, can become a valuable resource for onsite water generation. From adiabatic cooling and humidification to local water replenishment, this conversation opens up new possibilities for sustainable design, reduced PUE, and location flexibility—redefining what it means for data centers to be responsible community partners.