Atoco uses data center heat to extract drinking water from air

The California-based startup Atoco has demonstrated a method to extract drinking water from the air using waste heat from data centers. The technology utilizes metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), highly porous materials designed to capture water vapor even in humidity levels as low as 10 to 20 percent. Once captured, the water is released by applying heat.

The chemical foundation of this process was developed by Nobel laureate Omar Yaghi. During a demonstration in Irvine, Atoco used heat of approximately 65 degrees Celsius—similar to the thermal output of a data center—to power a demo unit that produced up to 300 liters of water per day. The company is currently developing a commercial device capable of producing 1,000 liters daily.

This innovation aligns with European Union energy efficiency directives, which require data centers with more than one megawatt of power to repurpose their waste heat. By converting a byproduct of AI infrastructure into a water resource, the technology addresses resource scarcity in areas where high-density computing is concentrated.