Pranav Hotkar
Boston, United States - April 2, 2026 - Gradiant has secured a contract to design and deliver a water treatment facility for a hyperscale data centre in Didcot, Oxfordshire, strengthening its position in supporting critical infrastructure for AI and cloud operations.
The project will serve one of the world’s leading AI and cloud infrastructure providers and is being developed on the site of a former power station in the United Kingdom.
Under the agreement, Gradiant will provide an integrated water management system that includes treatment, recycling, and zero liquid discharge (ZLD) capabilities. The solution is designed to ensure reliable cooling operations while reducing water consumption and environmental impact.
The company said the project reflects increasing pressure on data centre operators to address water availability as a critical constraint. As hyperscale facilities expand to support AI workloads, demand for sustainable and reliable water infrastructure is becoming a key factor in site selection and long-term operations.
Gradiant will deploy its “Site-Wide Peace of Mind” approach, taking responsibility for water performance across the entire facility. This model integrates treatment, reuse, and operational management into a single system, reducing complexity and improving reliability for operators.
Philipp Sausele, managing director of Gradiant Europe, said the project combines local expertise with the company’s global technology platform to deliver critical infrastructure at scale. He noted that understanding regional regulatory and environmental conditions is essential to executing large projects reliably.
Chief Executive Officer Prakash Govindan emphasized the growing importance of water in the AI infrastructure boom, stating that water is rapidly becoming a limiting factor in data centre development as compute demand accelerates.
The contract highlights a broader industry shift, where water management is emerging alongside power as a defining requirement for hyperscale data centers. Operators are increasingly seeking integrated solutions that can ensure operational continuity while meeting sustainability targets.
With this project, Gradiant continues to expand its role at the intersection of water and digital infrastructure, as the rapid growth of AI and cloud services drives demand for more resilient and resource-efficient data centre ecosystems
