Memphis Announces Plans for $78 Million Greywater Facility to Support Supercomputer Efficiency

Memphis Plans New Greywater Facility to Support Supercomputer

Hey there, Memphis! Exciting news is on the horizon as plans are officially in the works for a new greywater facility that will help keep our city’s supercomputer, affectionately called “Colossus,” cool and running efficiently. This innovative project is a team effort involving xAI, the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), and Nucor Steel, based on preliminary schematics recently filed with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC).

Key Details of the Colossus Water Recycle Facility

According to the presented documents, the Colossus Water Recycle Facility is expected to have a price tag of around $78 million. It’s noteworthy that this facility will be privately funded, which means it won’t rely on public funds to get off the ground. As of now, TDEC’s deputy communications director, Kim Schofinski, mentioned that the Department has not yet received a permit application for this facility. She clarified that the preliminary schematics are not subject to TDEC review or approval, allowing the team to move forward with planning.

So, how will this facility actually work? It will utilize and treat water from the nearby T.E. Maxson wastewater treatment plant. The plan states that the Colossus facility will “withdraw effluent from Maxson as needed,” instead of creating any daily flow into the facility. More specifically, it’s expected to handle an average of 7 million gallons of water daily, peaking at 10.4 million gallons. That’s quite a hefty amount of water!

A Look at the Collaborative Efforts

Scott Brooks, a spokesperson for TVA, shared, “TVA has been at the table for these discussions around potential solutions for greywater treatment, and we look forward to continuing that progress.” He did mention, however, that they couldn’t specify the nature of TVA’s commitment until they gain a clearer understanding of the facility’s costs and the quality of the treated water.

While we couldn’t get a hold of representatives from Nucor Steel for comments yet, it’s important to point out that they are located right next to the xAI facility at 3601 Riverport Road, which should create an excellent opportunity for collaboration among the entities involved.

Community Impact and Environmental Goals

Earlier this August, Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) confirmed their own partnership with xAI alongside the City of Memphis and TVA in the greywater facility’s design. This exciting collaboration aims to relieve some pressure off the Memphis Aquifer by up to 10 million gallons a day! That’s a significant number that showcases the potential environmental benefits this facility could bring. However, a specific timeline for construction hasn’t been provided yet; documents simply refer to the project as being on a timeline of “ASAP.”

The Supercomputer’s Role

To keep it all in context, this new greywater facility is directly linked to xAI’s innovative supercomputer. On September 2, founder Elon Musk announced via social media that **the xAI team had successfully brought its data processing chip cluster online** – this cluster is what we know as Colossus, powered by a staggering 100,000 H1 Nvidia chips. The xAI facility is based at 3231 Paul R. Lowry Road, utilizing the former Electrolux site.

In case you’re wondering, plans for this supercomputer first came to light back in June 2024. It’s exciting to see how this collaborative project not only supports cutting-edge technology but also addresses environmental sustainability in our community.

Stay tuned, Memphis! The future looks bright as we continue to innovate and care for our environment at the same time.