A new report has laid bare the scale of water usage by data centers across England - and the results aren’t quite as devastating as one would imagine.
TechUK’s Understanding Data Centre Water Use in England, based on a survey in collaboration with the Environment Agency, suggests data centers are “not intensive water users”.
According to the study, 64% of commercial data centers across the country use less than 10,000 m³ of water each year, which techUK noted is less than a “typical leisure center” or equivalent to the water use of a Premier League football club.
Just 4% of sites reported use over 100,000m³ per year, the techUK report added, in line with industrial manufacturing requirements.
The figures from techUK come amidst rising concerns over the impact of water use by data centers, both in the UK and globally. A host of big tech companies, including Google, have come under fire for data center water consumption rates in recent years.
In 2022, for example, Google was called a “water vampire” for consuming around a third of an Oregon city’s supply, prompting an overhaul of practices at the site.
A similar report in early 2025 highlighted concerns over water scarcity, noting that Amazon, Microsoft, and Google were running data centers in some of the world’s driest regions and exacerbating existing supply challenges.
Data center operators have made significant progress in curtailing water use, largely thanks to advances in cooling techniques. Traditionally, large volumes of water are required to cool data centers, but the rise of ‘closed-loop’, direct-to-chip, and waterless cooling systems are becoming increasingly popular.
Indeed, more than half (51%) of data centers across England are now using waterless cooling systems, which the report noted use “no water beyond the regular functioning of any building”.
Meanwhile, 89% of operators said they no longer need to monitor water usage due to closed-loop systems.
Matthew Evans, Director of Markets and COO at techUK, said the report shows that data center operators are “actively innovating” to address water consumption despite negative public perceptions.
“Data centers are the backbone of the UK’s digital economy and will be central to delivering our AI and innovation ambitions,” he said.
“This report shows that, contrary to some public perceptions, most commercial data centers are actively innovating to use minimal water.”
Data center industry needs support
Data centers are estimated to contribute £4.7 billion in GVA to the UK economy each year, supporting more than 43,000 jobs. The sector also has huge potential, according to techUK, potentially bringing in an additional £44 billion in GVA between 2025 and 2035.
This is dependent on whether data center capacity can be increased across the country, however, and is an issue the trade body insists requires action.
“As demand for compute grows, we must plan ahead,” Evans said. “We need smart policies, resilient infrastructure, and stronger data to ensure digital and environmental resilience go hand in hand.”
The report from techUK noted that “major data and planning” gaps are hampering data center growth across the country, and called for closer collaboration between government, regulators, and industry to accelerate expansion.
Key recommendations from the trade body included the development of a UK-wide “water exploitation index” to help developers and planners assess potential water stress on a region-by-region basis.
Elsewhere, the report also called for greater industry focus on measuring and reporting water usage – as well as water usage effectiveness (WUE) – at sites across the country.
Investment in advanced cooling technologies and the development of cooling systems “based on local water availability” were also highlighted by techUK.
Richard Thompson, the Environment Agency’s Deputy Director for Water Resources, said future data center expansion across England “must go hand-in-hand with protecting public water supplies, food security, and the environment”.
“It is vital the sector puts sustainability at its heart, and minimizes water use in line with evolving standards,” he said.
“We are working with industry and other regulators to raise these to secure the best outcomes for our environment and our water supply for future generations.”
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