SHAH ALAM, April 29 — New data centre developments in Selangor are encouraged to use recycled water or treat raw water to suitable standards for cooling system needs, said state executive councillor for investment, trade and mobility Ng Sze Han.
He said the initiative is among proposals by the Selangor government to ensure sustainable water resource management, while avoiding disruption to treated water supplies for consumers.
“Water demand from data centres is indeed very high. However, we must distinguish between water required for data centres and drinking water. Data centres do not necessarily require treated, potable water,” he said during the Selangor State Legislative Assembly sitting today.
“Therefore, for new data centres, in addition to emphasising power and water usage effectiveness, we are encouraging water recycling and also the use of other methods, such as sourcing raw water for treatment appropriate to data centre usage,” he added.
Ng was responding to an additional question from Subang Jaya assemblyman Michelle Ng Mei Sze, who raised concerns over the high water consumption of data centres and its potential impact on domestic clean water supply in Selangor.
He also said the state government would ensure the availability of essential infrastructure, including stable electricity supply, high-capacity telecommunications networks and sufficient water resources, to support hi-tech industries.
Ng added that the development and investment in artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres are currently concentrated in several strategic local authority areas, including Sepang, Petaling Jaya, Shah Alam and Klang.
