Data centres need a lot of water to keep servers cool. This is a problem. Experts warn that the UK’s plans to grow in AI technology could make it worse. Water supplies are already stretched, and new data centres could use even more.
Data centres rely on water to cool their systems. Without this, the servers could overheat. The UK government wants to build more data centres to help the economy grow. But this could hurt the country’s goals for clean energy and water use. In southern England, water shortages are already a problem. The government plans to build nine new reservoirs to fix this. But some of these reservoirs will be near planned data centres, like in Culham, Oxfordshire.
Thames Water is talking with the government about this issue. But no one knows how much water these centres will really use. The Royal Academy of Engineering says the government must make tech companies report their water and energy use. Without this, the environment could suffer.
Data centres use clean mains water because it is safe for the machines. The amount of water used depends on the weather. Cooler areas need less water. Dr. Venkatesh Uddameri says one data centre uses 11-19 million litres of water each day. That is as much water as a town of 30,000 to 50,000 people.
Microsoft’s water use went up 34% during AI development. In Iowa, one data centre used 6% of the region’s water in a month to train GPT-4. People are protesting data centres in places with little water, like Chile and Uruguay. Thames Water in the UK is concerned too. They reviewed the impact of data centres during a 2022 drought.
There are rules about using water. But data centres are now seen as Critical National Infrastructure. This means they can bypass some rules. Thames Water didn’t want a new data centre in Slough in 2021, but other projects have gone ahead.
Martha Dark, CEO of Foxglove, wants the government to explain how new data centres will not harm drinking water. The government says AI Growth Zones will focus on areas that already have the right infrastructure. Ofwat, the regulator, has also made changes that will allow water companies to invest £104 billion over five years.
Tech companies are trying to use less water. They are exploring ways to cool servers more efficiently. New methods include free air and dry cooling, as well as closed-loop systems. Microsoft plans to use closed-loop cooling in new data centres in Phoenix and Wisconsin. Digital Realty is testing AI-driven water-saving techniques. This could save 4 million litres of water each year, but it’s still a goal for the future.
Experts say that by 2050, England may need 5 billion more litres of water each day. To meet this demand, data centres need to plan ahead. They must find ways to reuse water. Everyone, from tech firms to government bodies, must work together to ensure enough water for all.
Tech companies highlight advances in sustainable cooling. Methods like free air and dry cooling, along with closed-loop systems, are being adopted. For example, Microsoft plans to use closed-loop cooling in its upcoming Phoenix and Wisconsin data centres. Digital Realty’s AI-driven water conservation trial expects to save 4 million liters annually, though this remains a future target.
England may need five billion extra liters of daily water by 2050, according to the Environment Agency. For this, data centres must forecast future consumption and explore self-sufficient options, such as water reuse. Meeting rising demand, experts say, requires collaborative efforts across industries.
