Big Sky Digital Infrastructure, the developer behind the proposed Quantica energy and data center project in Yellowstone County, outlined detailed plans for water sourcing and usage as the massive facility moves toward regulatory approval.
The company said the planned 5,000-acre campus near Broadview would draw up to 20,000 gallons of water per day once operational, sourcing it from the deep Madison Group Aquifer through a well extending 4,000 to 5,000 feet below the surface. During peak construction phases, water demand would spike to 150,000 gallons daily, the developer disclosed.
Deep Well, Closed-Loop System
Big Sky Digital Infrastructure stressed that the deep aquifer source sits substantially below the Eagle Aquifer, which supplies many local wells serving area farmers, ranchers, and communities. The company asserted the two aquifers are not hydraulically connected, meaning water withdrawal from the deeper formation would not affect shallower groundwater supplies that residents and agricultural users depend on.
The facility will employ a closed-loop cooling system with continuous water recirculation to minimize overall consumption. Damon Obie, general counsel for Big Sky Digital Infrastructure, told the Q2 News in a statement that the company “designed the Big Sky Campus to use minimal water and to source it deep underground, away from the wells our neighbors rely on. Protecting Montana’s water is a responsibility we take seriously.”
All operations will comply with oversight by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the developer said.
Early-Stage Community Assessment
Big Sky Digital Infrastructure indicated it is in preliminary stages of assessing water availability for surrounding communities and neighboring agricultural operations. The announcement comes as the company continues navigating state regulatory processes, having applied for 7,235 megawatts of capacity from the Montana Public Service Commission for a data center designed to consume 1,100 megawatts of power.
Broader Policy Context
The Broadview data center has become a focal point in Montana’s emerging debate over large-scale energy infrastructure and artificial intelligence facilities. Recent Montana Senate candidates have split on whether the state should embrace such projects or impose stricter oversight on data center growth, reflecting broader tensions between economic development and resource management concerns in rural counties.
Water availability remains a sensitive issue across Montana. State officials have grappled with drought conditions that have strained existing water supplies for agriculture and communities, making groundwater sourcing decisions subject to heightened scrutiny from residents and policymakers alike.
The developer’s reliance on a deep aquifer at 4,000 to 5,000 feet depth represents an attempt to sidestep the most common source of conflict in such projects: competition with surface-level and shallow-well users. Whether regulators and local stakeholders accept that the Madison and Eagle Aquifers remain hydraulically isolated—and whether deeper drilling poses its own long-term risks—will likely shape the project’s path forward.
Big Sky Digital Infrastructure has not announced a construction timeline or provided updated information on remaining state and federal approvals needed to begin work on the 1,100-megawatt facility.
