Experts from Whitehall’s environment department are working with colleagues from the tech sphere and beyond in order to better understand an issue that has come into increasing focus of late
Government’s specialist technology and environment departments are working together to better understand how much water might be needed to support the operation of datacentre facilities, and the wider implication of this demand.
The issue of the environmental impact of new IT infrastructure has come under greater scrutiny in recent years, as tech firms have built out more computing power to support the rise of artificial intelligence.
A report published last year by the Government Sustainability Alliance warned that the rise of AI is “driving a significant, yet often underestimated, increase in water consumption”, and that “global projections indicate that AI’s water demand could reach billions of cubic metres annually, posing a substantial threat to water security worldwide and, critically, within the UK”.
In light of such warnings, a recent parliamentary question from James McMurdock, elected as a Reform MP but now serving as an independent, asked the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs “what estimate [it] has made of the volume of water expected to be required annually by AI-capable datacentres”.
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In response, water minister Emma Hardy revealed Defra is engaging with other government bodies – including its own arm’s-length bodies, as well as other ministerial departments – to explore the issue in more depth.
“Defra is working with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the Environment Agency and water companies to improve understanding of datacentre water demand,” she said. “Defra is building the evidence base on water use, considering its implications through national water resources planning, and supporting efficient, sustainable water use by the sector.”
Last year’s report from the GDSA – which includes from representation from government, the IT sector, academia, and civil society – set out various recommendations to mitigate the potential water risks created by the growth of AI and datacentres.
These include: “strengthening regulatory frameworks through mandatory, location-based reporting; integrating water planning into AI infrastructure development; incentivising the adoption of advanced, water-efficient technologies; and enhancing transparency across the digital supply chain”.
The report added: “By proactively addressing these issues, the UK can mitigate critical risks, foster resilient digital practices, and uphold its commitment to environmental sustainability while pursuing its AI ambitions.”