Stanton, Ansari, Kelly, Gallego Announce $2 Million Federal Investment to Advance Water Reuse Technology for Semiconductor Manufacturing at ASU

WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Representatives Greg Stanton (AZ-04) and Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and U.S. Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego today announced $2,062,000 in federal funding for Arizona State University to develop, test, and demonstrate innovative water reuse technologies designed for semiconductor manufacturing. The award, made through the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), was secured as congressionally directed spending championed by the Arizona delegation. The project will test emerging water treatment technologies and validate them at ASU's Macro Technology Works (MTW) facility in Tempe, generating the real-world performance data industry needs to adopt water-saving solutions at scale. The work aims to help fabs improve conservation while strengthening the reliability of domestic semiconductor production. "Arizona is proving that you can lead the nation in semiconductor manufacturing and be a responsible steward of every drop of water," said Rep. Stanton. "This investment puts ASU's researchers to work on exactly the right challenge: making sure the industry driving our economic future can grow without straining the water resources our communities depend on. That's how we keep chip production strong and sustainable right here in Arizona." “In Arizona, water is our most precious and sacred resource. As our state continues to lead the nation in innovation and build the economy of the future through advanced semiconductor manufacturing, we must ensure that growth is sustainable,” said Rep. Ansari. “The federal dollars my colleagues and I secured will help do exactly that and ASU is a critical partner in driving the research, innovation, and commercialization needed to reduce water use and strengthen our resilience. Our future depends on it." “Arizona is a national leader in chip manufacturing, and we know how to manage water responsibly,” said Senator Kelly. “This investment builds on that leadership by developing water reuse technology, creating good-paying jobs, strengthening American manufacturing, and protecting our water supply. It’s a win for Arizona.” “Making Arizona’s semiconductor manufacturing industry even more water efficient will allow us to continue to create good-paying jobs and protect our state’s water supply,” said Senator Gallego. “Thanks to this project, Arizona will continue to lead the nation in community-beneficial innovation.” "ASU looks forward to putting this federal investment to work advancing technologies that  can help semiconductor manufacturers use water more efficiently and strengthen the resilience of chip production in Arizona," said Arizona State University President Michael  Crow. "Arizona's water security and the nation's focus on semiconductor manufacturing  capacity depends on the leadership of policymakers and we appreciate the support from  Senators Kelly and Gallego and Representatives Stanton and Ansari in recognizing the  importance of this work. By developing and testing promising water reuse technologies in a semiconductor manufacturing environment, ASU can help advance these solutions for commercial use." The project will advance promising technologies from early-stage research toward commercial readiness through two phases: developing and integrating emerging treatment technologies into a mobile, pilot-scale demonstration testbed, and validating them in manufacturing-representative conditions at the MTW facility. Quarterly stakeholder reviews will guide which technologies advance to pilot-scale demonstration, where researchers will quantify water savings, cost reductions, and operational benefits. By bridging the gap between fundamental research and commercial deployment, the project is expected to benefit semiconductor fabs seeking to reduce water use and improve resilience, while generating new intellectual property that can be licensed to start ups and established water-technology firms.