When you imagine building a world-class data centre like MCR2, cutting-edge technology, sleek designs, and advanced systems might come to mind. But there’s more to our story than meets the eye – literally. Hidden below the surface is a feature that plays a key role in sustainability and site resilience during extreme weather challenges. Meet our attenuation tank, a crucial (yet invisible) part of sustainable infrastructure planning.
MCR2’s attenuation tank – hidden sustainable infrastructure
An invisible part of our sustainability planning
What is an attenuation tank?
Attenuation tanks are large subterranean storage systems designed to manage and control stormwater runoff. Their primary role is to collect excess rainwater during heavy downpours or extreme flooding events, allowing it to be stored temporarily. Rather than releasing this water directly into local drainage systems, which can quickly become overwhelmed, the tank releases it at a much slower, controlled rate.
This not only reduces the risk of localised flooding but also minimises the strain on drainage exit points and downstream systems. Essentially, it’s a safeguard against extreme weather impacts, protecting infrastructure, natural habitats, and local communities.
Why did we install an attenuation tank at MCR2?
Regulatory compliance played a significant role here. The local authority requires all new builds to reduce stormwater flow into drainage systems to levels calculated below a specific threshold. This threshold is based on what would happen during the amount of rainfall expected under a ‘1 in 100 years’ flooding event, coupled with an additional 40% margin to account for future challenges such as climate change.
Now, if you’re thinking that sounds like a staggering amount of water, then you’re absolutely right. To put it into perspective, our MCR2 attenuation tank has a capacity of approximately 900 cubic metres – the equivalent of 900,000 litres of water (or around two and a half 25m swimming pools worth of water) stored below our site.
Building an attenuation tank of this size required significant investment and planning from the very start of the project.
What do we hope to achieve?
1. Protect our site
Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, and flooding is a growing concern across many regions. By deploying an attenuation system, we’re ensuring our MCR2 data centre has robust flood protection in place. This helps safeguard critical infrastructure and ensures the uninterrupted operation of our facility.
2. Support the local community
When unmanaged stormwater overwhelms drainage systems, it poses risks far beyond the initial build site. Downstream neighbourhoods and natural water bodies bear the brunt, with increased flooding and erosion damage. Our attenuation tank protects not only our site but also reduces these risks for surrounding areas.
3. Comply with planning authority regulations
The planning authority’s rules around stormwater management aim to create safer, more sustainable developments across the board. By meeting these standards, we demonstrate our commitment to responsible construction practices and our alignment with long-term environmental goals.
4. Promote sustainability
Sustainability is at the core of our MCR2 data centre construction. Deploying features like attenuation tanks illustrates how we’re working to reduce the environmental impact of our operations, even during extreme scenarios.
It’s easy to overlook something that lies underground, away from sight – but attenuation tanks are a necessary part of responsible, sustainable development, especially in regions prone to heavy rainfall and flooding.
For us, the installation of such an expansive tank was demanding in terms of planning, cost, and implementation. But as we look forward to the completion of MCR2, we’re confident that investments like these – though largely unseen – play a vital role in protecting our operations, benefiting the local environment, and supporting the community.
If you have any questions about our sustainability practices at MCR2, feel free to get in touch with our team.