New Water Reclamation Facility Announced for TSMC Phoenix

TSMC Phoenix AZ

Image courtesy of TSMC.

Water Reclamation in Support of Manufacturing

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has broken ground on a new water plant in Arizona. The project aims to conserve water as the chipmaker builds its semiconductor facilities in Phoenix. The 15-acre Industrial Reclamation Water Plant will sit at the company’s campus near 43rd Avenue and Dove Valley Road.

In a news release, TSMC explained that it operates similar water facilities in Taiwan but must operate here differently due to the higher levels of magnesium and calcium in the Phoenix water supply. TMSC said the industrial wastewater will be reverted back to an “ultrapure” standard, necessary in the chipmaking process. The facility is designed to reuse nearly every drop of water. At first, it will recycle about 85% of water used. The company hopes to raise that rate to 90% or more over time.

Katherine Davis-Young via KJZZ

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, known as TSMC Arizona, announced Wednesday that it has broken ground on a 15-acre industrial reclamation water plant to support its north Phoenix chip manufacturing operations.

Chip manufacturing requires “ultrapure” water to wash away microscopic particles that can create defects in semiconductor wafers. TSMC Arizona said it already recycles some industrial wastewater on its north Phoenix campus, but said the new water reclamation facility will allow it to reuse 85 to 90% of the water that the city delivers to the site.

Max Wilson, Phoenix’s water resources management advisor, called the announcement good news for Phoenix.

“It will substantially reduce the amount of water that they will need to be able to operate over time,” Wilson said. “What this groundbreaking from TSMC represents, and what a lot of our new water reuse in north Phoenix represents, is us continuing down that path of making sure we can get the most out of every single drop that we are able to access.”

TSMC Arizona said the industrial reclamation water plant will be operational in 2028.

Sponsor Members

TSMC Water Reclamation Rendering

Rendering showing 15-acre industrial reclamation water plant on TSMC Phoenix chip manufacturing campus.

About TSMC

TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited or Taiwan Semiconductor) is a Taiwanese multinational semiconductor contract manufacturing and design company. It is the world’s largest dedicated independent semiconductor foundry, and its country’s largest company, with headquarters and main operations located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Although the central government of Taiwan is the largest individual shareholder, the majority of TSMC is owned by foreign investors. In 2023, TSMC served 528 business customers and manufactured 11,895 products for various applications covering a variety of end markets including high performance computing, smartphones, the Internet of Things (IoT), automotive, and digital consumer electronics.