- The UK plans to triple data center capacity (and likely water consumption) by 2030.
- Average daily consumption does not reflect peak demand during times of stress
- Water UK outlines three considerations for preparing for increased demand
Although the country wants to triple its data center capacity by 2030, a key trade body has warned that UK government policies have failed to take into account growing water demand.
Currently, forecasts for England’s water resources, for example, exclude data centers and gigafactories.
“Water companies therefore have a limit on the amount of water they can supply in the future,” Water UK wrote, warning that air cooling is not really enough due to the high cost and inefficiency compared to water cooling.
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UK data center plans forget to mention water
With current estimates implying that UK data centers consume around 6.6 million liters per day, the equivalent of 20,000 homes, tripling capacity would ultimately mean the UK would have to find a volume of water equivalent to 40,000 more homes.
But the term “average” doesn’t really reflect the reality of water consumption, as peak demand can reach around 14 million liters per day in the hottest weather conditions. Under this guidance and with current ambitions for 2030, the UK should be set to reduce consumption by 42 million liters per day, highlighting the need for major storage facilities.
The report also criticizes the government for advising water companies to plan as if businesses will need less water in the future – forgetting that data center consumption is changing this pattern.
Water UK is proposing three options to the Government, starting with temporarily removing the limit on the amount water companies can take from the environment, with the important caveat that they use this time to explore and finance new sources of water capture.
Two other options are allowing developers to finance new water supplies and imposing stricter water efficiency standards for data center projects.
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