BILLINGS — Quantica, the developer behind a proposed 5,000-acre energy and data center in Yellowstone County, announced Monday the project is projected to use 20,000 gallons of water per day once construction of the campus is complete.
The company expects to use closed-loop cooling technology, which continuously recirculates water — similar to how a car radiator works — rather than replacing it.
Water usage is expected to rise to 150,000 gallons per day during peak construction. All of the water will come from the Deep Madison Group Aquifer, accessed through a deep well at approximately 4,000 to 5,000 feet below ground surface — about 1,300 feet below the shallower Eagle Aquifer, according to the company. Officials at Big Sky Digital Infrastructure, which will operate the data center, said the two aquifers are not hydraulically connected, meaning water withdrawals from the Madison will not affect wells drawing from the Eagle Aquifer.
"I grew up on a ranch in Montana, so I know what water means here, you don't take it for granted," Damon Obie, general counsel of Big Sky Digital Infrastructure, said in a statement. "We designed the Big Sky Campus to use minimal water and to source it deep underground, away from the wells our neighbors rely on. Protecting Montana's water is a responsibility we take seriously, and we'll keep engaging openly with the community on water and other topics as the project progresses."
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The announcement comes after the county threw out thousands of signatures gathered by residents who want the data center to go to a vote of the people. Organizers missed the final deadline to turn in signatures after they were given an incorrect date by county officials.
The company said it is in the early stages of evaluating opportunities to make water available to surrounding communities and neighboring farmers and ranchers long-term. All water usage will comply with Montana law, including requirements from the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
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