Big Sky Digital Infrastructure Outlines Water Plans For Broadview Data Center

If you've been anywhere near a conversation about the Big Sky Campus near Broadview, you've probably heard water brought up more than once. It's one of the first questions I get asked too, so I wanted to lay out exactly what Big Sky Digital Infrastructure (BSDI) has said about how much water its planned 1,100 MW data center campus will actually use, and where that water is coming from.

Broadview Campus Water Use Broken Into Construction And Operations

BSDI, a Quantica Infrastructure company sponsored by EnCap Investments, released its water use plans for the Big Sky Campus on August 31, 2026. According to the company's announcement, water use at the site is expected to look very different during construction than it will once the campus is up and running.

During peak construction, total water usage across the site is projected to reach a maximum of about 150,000 gallons per day, covering both construction needs and domestic use for the on-site workforce. Once construction wraps up and the campus becomes operational, that number is expected to fall dramatically, with BSDI estimating 20,000 gallons per day for domestic use.

Closed Loop Cooling System Aims To Cut Data Center Water Demand

The bulk of that reduction comes down to the cooling technology BSDI says it plans to use. The company has stated that the widely circulated figure of "millions of gallons per day," a number some residents may have already come across, reflects older evaporative cooling methods and does not apply to the Big Sky Campus.

Instead, BSDI plans to use a closed loop cooling system. A modern closed loop system works something like the radiator in a car. Fluid circulates through a sealed loop, absorbs heat, releases it through cooling equipment, and returns to do it again. Because that fluid is reused rather than continually replaced, closed loop systems are generally charged once during commissioning and don't require routine water replenishment during normal operations, according to BSDI.

Montana Tech Professor Bob Morris, who has spoken on data center water use as part of the Montana Chamber's Data Center Webinar series, has said that a modern 250 MW data center using advanced cooling technology could use roughly 40,000 gallons per day, a figure comparable to a 200 room hotel, in a facility not using closed loop cooling. For context BSDI has provided, a large regional medical center with 300 to 500 beds can use somewhere between 171,000 and over 285,000 gallons of water per day, and the average irrigated American golf course can use around 300,000 gallons per day during peak summer months.

Madison Group Aquifer Chosen For Broadview Well Site

BSDI plans to draw its water from a deep well in the Madison Group Aquifer, at an estimated depth of 4,000 to 5,000 feet below ground surface. That puts it roughly 1,300 feet below the shallower Eagle Aquifer, which is the aquifer many nearby wells rely on.

Because the company says the two aquifers are not hydraulically connected, BSDI maintains that withdrawing water from the Madison won't affect wells drawing from the Eagle. To meet the maximum construction period consumption of 150,000 gallons per day, BSDI says the well would need to run at a maximum pumping rate of 160 gallons per minute, based on a 16 hour per day pumping schedule.

Demonstrating that existing wells and water users won't be impacted is a requirement for obtaining a Montana water right in the first place. All water use and quality at the site is expected to fall under rules set by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), which include provisions meant to prevent interference with community or agricultural water needs.

Company Says Long Term Water Sharing With Neighbors Is Still Being Evaluated

BSDI says it's in the early stages of looking at ways to make water available to surrounding communities, along with neighboring farmers and ranchers, over the long term. Nothing has been finalized on that front, and BSDI notes that any such plans would still need to go through the regulatory process.

"We're deploying closed loop cooling technology, investing in water sources that do not interfere with local water needs," said John Chesser, CEO of Big Sky Digital Infrastructure, in the announcement. Chesser added that the company is in early planning to evaluate making water available to neighbors and intends to work with local counties on that effort.

BSDI General Counsel Damon Obie, who grew up on a Montana ranch, said the company designed the campus to source water deep underground and away from the wells neighbors depend on.

Permits And Water Data Expected To Be Made Public

According to BSDI's announcement, permits confirming its water plan are expected to become publicly available through the regulatory process as the project moves forward, and the company plans to keep releasing information on water infrastructure and permitting as things develop.

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For residents who want to dig into the regulatory side of things, the Montana DEQ has its own Data Center FAQ covering water regulations, and BSDI has said it will continue posting updates at bigskydigitalinfra.com as the project progresses.