Construction begins on $10 million wastewater line to transport cooling water from Lincoln data center to recovery site
Construction has begun on a $10 million wastewater line in Lincoln, Nebraska, funded by Google. The project will transport non-contact cooling water from Google's data center to the Northeast Water Resource Recovery Facility for treatment before being discharged into Salt Creek. This initiative aims to prevent the data center from burdening the city's wastewater treatment capacity.
Construction is underway in northeast Lincoln, Nebraska, for a $10 million wastewater project funded by Google through its subsidiary, Agate, LLC. The initiative involves laying a three-mile pipeline to transport non-contact cooling water from Google's data center, located at 56th and Interstate 80, to the Northeast Water Resource Recovery Facility. Upon completion in January 2027, the pipe is designed to carry up to 2,040 gallons of water per minute.
At the facility, the cooling water will undergo testing for various parameters including temperature, pH, nitrogen, chlorine, and E. coli. According to Erika Hill, Public Information Officer for Lincoln Transportation and Utility, the water will primarily require dechlorination before its discharge into Salt Creek. The Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment has received a request from the City of Lincoln to modify its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit for the facility, a process that began in March 2026.
Hill emphasized the project's value, stating that much of the used water will be approved to bypass standard wastewater treatment, thereby ensuring Google's data center operations do not strain the community's existing wastewater treatment capacity. Agreements between the City of Lincoln and Agate LLC regarding the project were reportedly in place as early as April 2024.