Google Commits $160M to Build Shared Water Treatment Plant for Malaysia Data Center

Google has pledged $160 million to develop shared water infrastructure in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, supporting its planned data center campus in Port Dickson while also serving the surrounding community. The commitment underscores a growing emphasis among hyperscale operators on securing and replenishing local water resources as they expand digital infrastructure across Southeast Asia.

The investment will fund the construction of an off-river storage reservoir and a water treatment plant designed to supply both local residents and Google's planned campus. Google is partnering with the Negeri Sembilan state government and water utility Syarikat Air Negeri Sembilan Sdn Bhd on the initiative, and has appointed Malaysia-based engineering and construction firm Gamuda Berhad to carry out the construction work. Once complete, the plant will have the capacity to supply 65 million liters (17.17 million gallons) of drinking water per day for public use and for Google's campus.

Drew Byrnes, director and head of global infrastructure and energy for Asia Pacific at Google, said the decision to fund shared water infrastructure reflects the company's global ambition to replenish 120 percent of the freshwater volume it consumes, even though its water risk assessment found that local sources were not at high risk of scarcity or depletion. He said the project underscores Google's responsibility to grow its presence sustainably by pairing advanced digital infrastructure development with water replenishment projects, power infrastructure enhancements, and programs designed to upskill local talent for new career opportunities.

Google purchased 389 acres of land in Port Dickson in May last year for the data center. The site is located roughly 90 kilometers (55.9 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur on the banks of the Strait of Malacca, and reports indicate the campus will have a capacity of between 500MW and 1GW, with Gamuda Engineering overseeing engineering and infrastructure works. Google has also committed to paying for 100 percent of the power required for the campus, in addition to the direct infrastructure costs needed to connect it to the grid.

The Port Dickson project is one of two data center developments Google has underway in Malaysia. The company broke ground at Elmina Business Park in Selangor in October 2024, where the first phase is expected to deliver 100MW of capacity and is slated for completion this year. Both projects form part of a broader $2 billion investment commitment Google announced for the country in 2024. The water infrastructure pledge highlights how hyperscalers are increasingly embedding community-level resource projects into their data center buildouts, addressing local sustainability concerns while securing the long-term utility capacity needed for large-scale computing operations.