Members of Arizona’s congressional delegation on Monday announced a $2 million investment into water reuse research for semiconductor manufacturing.
The federal funding will go to Arizona State University to “develop, test, and demonstrate innovative water reuse technologies.”
The announcement comes from Democratic Sens. Ruben Gallego and Mark Kelly, along with Congresswoman Yassamin Ansari and Congressman Greg Stanton.
The project will test out various water treatment technologies at ASU’s MacroTechnology Works facility in Tempe.
Researchers will measure each technology’s water savings, cost reductions and any operational benefits.
The data can inform what works best for water conservation.
The lawmakers hope Arizona can manage its water supply with these reuse technologies while remaining a top chips manufacturer.
“As our state continues to lead the nation in innovation and build the economy of the future through advanced semiconductor manufacturing, we must ensure that growth is sustainable,” Ansari said in a statement. “The federal dollars my colleagues and I secured will help do exactly that, and ASU is a critical partner in driving the research, innovation, and commercialization needed to reduce water use and strengthen our resilience. Our future depends on it."
Arizona’s largest chips manufacturers are the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Intel. Both recycle a large amount of the water they use for semiconductor manufacturing already.
Over the last several months, politicians have increasingly pressed the need for data centers to temper their water use and invest in conservation technologies as well.
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On Sept. 8, KJZZ water reporter Alex Hager presented your questions and concerns to a panel of experts.
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