UK Water Crisis Looms for AI Growth

The UK's water industry has sharply criticized the government's ambitious AI growth plans, deeming them "fatally flawed" for neglecting critical water supply considerations. Datacenters, essential for AI infrastructure, consume vast amounts of water for cooling systems. Water UK, representing water companies, has informed MPs that government forecasts and AI strategies conspicuously omit any mention of datacenters' water needs. The Environment Agency's recent water resources framework also failed to estimate these demands, implying an unfounded assumption of perpetual water availability for economic growth.

Concerns are amplified as datacenters are increasingly located in water-stressed areas, particularly in southern and eastern England, regions already facing hosepipe bans due to prolonged heat and rainfall deficits. Water UK warns that expanding datacenters in these areas might become unfeasible without policy reform, given existing network pressures. The industry highlights the long lead times for constructing new water supplies, such as major reservoirs, which can take up to 15 years to plan and build.

Affinity Water, serving Slough where a high concentration of datacenters is proposed or under construction, noted that some facilities request up to 3 million liters of water daily—equivalent to the peak demand of 3,500 homes. This commercial demand dwarfs traditional household consumption planning. Currently, datacenters primarily use drinking water, estimated at 6.6 million liters daily in England. With the government aiming to triple datacenters by 2030, this figure could surge to 19.8 million liters per day. The government has designated datacenters as critical national infrastructure, raising fears they could be prioritized over households during water shortages.

Water UK has requested a drought hierarchy from the government to clarify sector prioritization during shortages, a step yet to be taken. This lack of clarity risks exacerbating societal trade-offs during water scarcity. The government has acknowledged these concerns, stating it will protect water supplies while fostering growth, exploring ways to minimize datacenters' impact on water and wastewater, and investing in infrastructure, including new reservoirs.