Recycled Wastewater: Good Enough for Apple, Inc.

Besides discussing many innovative wastewater treatment methods on this blog, we also like to look at ways that wastewater is put to use. From brewing beer to watering crops, wastewater can be put to use in numerous applications in a wide variety of industries. Now, tech giant Apple, maker of the beloved iPhone, iPad, etc. is exploring wastewater treatment technology to reduce its water use.
 
The small town of Prineville, Oregon in Crook County has a population of under 10,000, yet it plays a vital part in the success of two of the most well-known and successful companies in the world: Apple and Facebook.
 
Both Apple and Facebook have huge data centers located in Prineville, and keeping the data centers cool has put a burden on the tiny town. Apple is the town’s top water consumer, using around 27 million gallons of water a year.
 
Always an innovator, Apple has launched an initiative to begin using recycled wastewater to cool its data centers. The company will use recycled wastewater from a nearby sewage treatment plant and will also begin reusing their own wastewater by building a treatment facility on site.
 
Facebook, which uses around 10.5 million gallons a year, has shown interest in the idea, but they have yet to make any formal agreements.
 
Benefits of Recycling Wastewater
 
Apple expects to reduce their annual potable water usage by nearly 5 million gallons, both by using wastewater from the sewage treatment plant and by recycling their own water for further use. The wastewater treatment technology to be used at the treatment center reduces the water’s mineral content, meaning each batch of water can be used for cooling longer than before. Previously, the company’s wastewater was less rigorously treated and used to water a nearby municipal golf course or released into nearby pasturelands.
 
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