Data centres in England account for just 0.2% of England's non-household water use: less than the total water lost by water companies through leakage every single day. More than half of the commercial sites surveyed in techUK's report use no water for cooling at all, and the sector is actively moving toward waterless designs in new builds. We acknowledge the UK faces a real long-term clean water scarcity challenge, and techUK is working with Government, regulators and water companies to ensure data centres are part of the solution, including through early planning coordination and investment in non-potable and reuse infrastructure.
techUK · Digital Infrastructure
A statement is only as strong as its evidence. Every figure above is set out below against the primary source you can check for yourself.
Data centres in England account for roughly 0.2% of England's non-household water use.
Potable water used by data centres in England is estimated at 1,879,000 cubic metres a year. For two-thirds of sites that is comparable to a medium-sized office building. Independent analysis for MOSL, the market operator for England's non-household water market, puts the sector at about 0.2% of that market.
WRc for MOSL, 2026Each of the 500 squares is 0.2% of the non-household market. Only one is shaded: the data centre share, shown exactly to scale.
That whole year of use is less than the water lost to leakage in a single day.
Water companies in England and Wales lose more than 3 billion litres every day through leaking pipes, around a fifth of all the water put into supply (Ofwat). A full year of data centre potable use is about 1.88 billion litres. Set on the same axis, the comparison is stark.
Bars scaled to the larger value. One day of leakage is greater than one year of data centre potable use.
One day of leaking pipes wastes more water than every data centre in England uses in a year.
Ofwat · LeakageMore than half of surveyed commercial sites use no water for cooling at all.
A techUK survey carried out with the Environment Agency, covering 73 commercial data centre sites, found that most rely on air or refrigerant-based cooling rather than evaporative systems. That is the opposite of the water-hungry US picture, largely because of the UK's cooler climate and different environmental rules.
use waterless cooling, relying on air or refrigerant, with no water consumed for cooling.
consume under 10,000 cubic metres a year, about the same as a local leisure centre.
either measure their water use or run systems that need none for cooling.
Data centres in England account for just 0.2% of England's non-household water use: less than the total water lost by water companies through leakage every single day. More than half of the commercial sites surveyed in techUK's report use no water for cooling at all, and the sector is actively moving toward waterless designs in new builds. We acknowledge the UK faces a real long-term clean water scarcity challenge, and techUK is working with Government, regulators and water companies to ensure data centres are part of the solution, including through early planning coordination and investment in non-potable and reuse infrastructure.
The headline figures are reassuring, but the same evidence base is candid about where the pressure lies.
- Use is highly concentrated. The WRc analysis found roughly 65% of the sector's consumption sits in just six large facilities, even though 67% of sites use under 1,000 cubic metres a year.
- The trend is upward. Demand is rising as the sector expands, and AI-driven growth was not fully factored into existing water-resource planning timelines.
- Timing matters more than totals. Use peaks in summer heatwaves, exactly when domestic demand and local water stress are highest.
- The survey is self-reported. The 73-site sample was voluntary, and reviewers have noted it may not capture the largest new hyperscale builds. Both reports call for mandatory, standardised reporting to close that gap.
A real long-term clean water scarcity challenge, and data centres can be part of the solution.
The sector is moving toward waterless designs in new builds, and techUK is working with Government, regulators and water companies so that growth is planned for, not stumbled into.
Early planning coordination
Bringing data centre designers and water companies together at the planning stage, before sites are committed.
Non-potable and reuse
Reducing barriers to alternatives such as treated effluent, so cooling need not draw on drinking water.
Transparent reporting
Supporting standardised water-use and efficiency reporting so planners and regulators work from real data.
