PNK Group's WI Rapids data center webinar addresses water use, cooling
PNK Group held a second webinar in Wisconsin Rapids to address community concerns regarding water use and cooling for its proposed data center campus. The company clarified its plans for a closed-loop cooling system using water and propylene glycol, ensuring no discharge into local water bodies or ground, and updated its domestic water usage estimates. PNK Group emphasized the project would not use PFAS and committed to securing all necessary environmental permits, including from the Department of Natural Resources, while also expressing openness to community oversight.
PNK Group, a data center developer, hosted a second public webinar on August 18 to address community concerns regarding water use and cooling systems for its proposed data center campus in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. Facilitated by Ilissa Miller of iMiller Public Relations and featuring PNK Group's Chief Development Officer Anton Voronkin and Bala Consulting Engineering Inc. Vice President Jim Gardler, the webinar clarified key aspects of the project.
The company detailed its planned closed-loop cooling system, which will use a mixture of water and propylene glycol, prepared off-site and transported by tanker trucks. Gardler emphasized that this system avoids the high water consumption of traditional evaporative cooling and will not discharge any materials into the Wisconsin River, local water sources, or the ground. Voronkin stated that PNK Group would agree in writing to not use evaporative cooling and to disclose all chemicals on site, confirming the project would be PFAS-free.
PNK Group also revised its domestic water usage estimate. While the conditional use permit application initially cited 10,000 gallons per day, Gardler and Voronkin clarified this was an intentionally high estimate for office and human consumption, and the realistic figure would be significantly lower. The project aims to secure all necessary environmental permits from the Department of Natural Resources, with Voronkin assuring that the data center would have no impact on local wells, groundwater, or cranberry properties. Community suggestions, including a public oversight committee, were also discussed, with Voronkin expressing willingness to collaborate on environmental monitoring.