Britain faces a significant water deficit that could undermine ambitious plans for artificial intelligence (AI) growth, according to the UK's water industry. Water UK has informed Members of Parliament that the government's AI strategies fail to address water availability, and that official forecasts regarding water use are inadequate because they do not account for the substantial demands of data centers.
The industry group warned that current water infrastructure is unprepared for the expansion of data centers, which are critical for powering digital services, including AI applications like ChatGPT. These facilities require vast amounts of water for cooling, and some are reportedly opting for less efficient "open loop" cooling systems that evaporate significant quantities of water. Water UK cautioned that without stricter controls, such as mandating water-reusing "closed loop" systems, all water customers could face supply disruptions during peak demand periods in future summers.
"There appears to be an assumption that the country will always have enough water for its economic needs. Nothing could be further from the truth," Water UK stated in a submission to the Environmental Audit Committee.
Musician and environmental campaigner Feargal Sharkey has urged the government to appoint a dedicated Minister for Water Strategy to compel data centers to reduce their resource consumption, warning of potential water shortages in various regions. While the government maintains that data centers will be integrated into long-term planning by the Environment Agency, it also emphasizes that water companies bear the responsibility for future planning.
Data Center Expansion and Water Demand
Most of the UK's 520 data centers are concentrated in the South-East, particularly around Greater London, serving financial institutions that rely on low-latency internet connections. However, there are proposals to build new facilities in more rural areas, including Devon and East Anglia, the latter of which already experiences low rainfall and high water demand.
These expansion plans have encountered increasing opposition due to environmental concerns. Presenter Jake Humphrey has publicly criticized a proposed facility near Norwich. The government aims to triple data center capacity by 2030 and has designated them as critical national infrastructure, potentially giving them priority for water usage, a scenario that critics fear could lead to a nationwide water crisis.
Plans are underway to construct nine new reservoirs, but Water UK notes these projects can take up to 15 years to complete and may not be sufficient to meet the projected demand from data centers, especially given the perceived inaccuracies in current forecasts. "Due to excessive planning and environmental restrictions, they will take years longer to build than they should," Water UK stated, adding that it could be too late to provide necessary water reserves if forecasts are incorrect.
Meanwhile, millions of people across South and Eastern England are already subject to hosepipe bans. Homeowners are encouraged to conserve water through campaigns urging shorter showers and fixing leaky taps. Oliver Hayes, head of policy at Global Action Plan, criticized the situation where households are asked to cut back while data centers appear to face fewer restrictions. "The water industry couldn’t be clearer: officials simply aren’t planning for the massive drain on water caused by the data centre gold rush," Hayes said.
Intensive data centers can consume approximately 35 liters of water per second, amounting to three million liters daily—comparable to the demand of 3,500 homes at peak times. Water firms also continue to lose 2.87 billion liters of water daily due to leaks, a figure significantly higher than the water saved by hosepipe bans. Water UK asserts that leaks have decreased by 40 percent since the mid-1990s.
Sharkey highlighted that some proposed data centers in areas like Norfolk, which already face water stress, are particularly concerning. "We need to find another five billion litres of water in the next 20-25 years and the system is creaking around the edges," he stated.
Affinity Water, which serves the data center hub of Slough, reported that one proposed data center sought to use 21 million liters of water daily, equivalent to the needs of 147,000 people. The company noted that the current planning framework, designed for household growth, has not adapted to commercial users whose water needs can rival those of a market town.
A spokesperson for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said the government is committed to protecting water supplies while enabling growth. The department is exploring alternatives and methods to minimize the impact of data centers on water supplies and wastewater output, alongside investments in infrastructure and new reservoirs.
