Underground Utility Scope for Data Centers in DFW: What Developers Need to Plan Before Breaking Ground

The underground utility scope for data centers requires two main categories of services, including both wet and dry utility installation. Before any hyperscale build in DFW can happen, these scopes need to be engineered and sequenced to ensure that the utility connections will support the project’s needs.

These data center underground utilities are planned in detail and finalized before breaking ground, helping to ensure integrity and prevent schedule delays or redesign costs after construction begins. Our team at Moss Utilities is here to help, from planning and permits to digging, excavation, and beyond.

Why DFW Data Center Utility Scope Is Different from Other Asset Classes

Did you know that Dallas-Fort Worth is now the second-largest market in the United States for data centers? At the time of this writing, more than 1 gigawatt (GW) is already operational in DFW, with another 700 megawatts under construction. These campus sites are located in Allen, Garland, Plano, Frisco, Red Oak, and Cleburne.

To put this into perspective, 1 GW is enough to power between 750,000 and 1 million homes. Data centers use a lot more power than residential or smaller commercial properties, which is why specialized services are essential for the utility installation.

Wet Utilities: What is Included in the Underground Utility Scope for Data Centers?

Several things need to be addressed for wet utilities and how water is managed. This scope of work often includes:

• Domestic Water: Data centers use hyperscale cooling systems that can consume between 1 and 5 million gallons of water each day. The service lines need to be sized and pressurized correctly to manage this amount of water on an ongoing basis.
• Fire Water Main: On any large campus, fire suppression systems must be in place. It’s critical to take a proactive approach with these systems to avoid late-stage fire-line redesigns that could potentially be triggered by the State Fire Marshal.
• Sanitary Sewer: Both lift stations and oil and water separators are usually needed for larger campuses. Specialized systems are often required when gravity discharge to a public main is not an option.
• Storm Drainage: In Northern Texas, the 100-year storm depth can be between 9 and 10 inches, and modern buildings and campuses are designed to handle the influx of water during a heavy storm.

Dry Utilities: Electrical Underground Utility Planning for Data Centers

In addition to the wet utility requirements listed above, dry utilities are also crucial for these large-scale data center projects. The electrical duct banks must be robust to route medium-voltage power with 4-way, 6-way, or 9-way configurations (depending on the redundancies that are built into the system).

Various utility providers serve submarkets in the DFW area, and we must work with the provider to determine the right requirements for each project.

Additionally, data centers need fiber and telecom entry paths that qualify for higher classifications. A single-feed fiber installation isn’t sufficient, and this is one of the most common errors that needs to be fixed for first-generation campuses.

Pre-Construction Sequence for Data Center Site Development in DFW

Our team at Moss Utilities is here to help with every stage of planning and utility installation. We’ll review the plans, coordinate with engineers and other project teams, and then complete proper soil testing through geotechnical borings to ensure the right wet and dry utility structure is in place to run the data center.

Before the final civil design can happen, subsurface utility engineering (SUE) will need to be done. Other essential steps include stormwater modeling and pre-design documentation so that everything is ready for approval meetings with city committees.

The best thing that you can do is ensure that an underground utility contractor is hired for the project before the 30% milestone is reached for civil design. Our team will work with the engineers to offer input about construction and feasibility to avoid any issues being locked into the drawings. The sooner we are involved, the better, because early planning can reduce the risk of schedule issues and expensive design changes down the line.

FAQ

What underground utilities does a data center need?

Data centers require a lot of utility support to keep the technology running, which is why so much planning needs to go into both wet utilities (water, fire suppression, sanitary sewer, and storm drainage) and dry utilities (electrical duct banks, medium-voltage feeders, fiber, and telecom conduits).

What is the difference between wet and dry utilities on a data center site?

Wet utilities are designed to handle any water-based flow, including water coming into the site and sewage leaving the site. Dry utilities encompass the systems that are needed to keep power and data online.

Where are most new data centers being built in the DFW Metroplex?

Data center site development in DFW is actively happening in Allen, Garland, Plano, Frisco, Red Oak, and Cleburne. As the demand for data centers continues to grow, there is a high likelihood that more of these centers will be built in the greater area.

Do data centers need substations?

Yes, any type of hyperscale build, including data centers, must have an on-site substation that is connected to the ERCOT grid. These substations need medium-voltage feeders that are routed through the data center duct bank installation to reach each building.

Underground Utility Scopes Done Right with Moss Utilities

Moss Utilities is one of the most experienced and trusted teams that you can hire in the DFW area for data center utility support. We are ready to help with the data center boom that is happening. Our crews have experience with both wet utilities and dry utilities, and a history of success on other hyperscale build projects across the Metroplex, including Amazon Project Maverick, Walsh Ranch, and Firefly Park.

When you need a civil contractor, Moss Utilities is the team to call. Reach out to us in the early stages of the project so that we can help you build a customized underground scope to support your data center utility needs. Contact us for more information about available services.