Jakarta, ThedailyID — The United Kingdom’s plan to accelerate data center development for artificial intelligence (AI) could put growing pressure on the country’s water supply, according to the national water industry.
Water UK, which represents water companies across England and Northern Ireland, warned lawmakers that current water resources may not meet future demand. The organization urged the government to revise its long-term planning strategy.
Water UK said government forecasts underestimate future water consumption. The current projections do not include the rapid expansion of AI data centers.
Data centers consume large amounts of water to cool servers that generate heat. They also increase indirect water demand because of their high electricity use.
Meanwhile, Water UK criticized the UK’s National Framework for Water Resources, published in June 2025. The organization said the framework fails to estimate water demand from data centers.
“It appears there is an assumption that the country will always have enough water to support economic growth. The reality is far from that,” the organization said, according to The Guardian.
Furthermore, Water UK noted that more than three-quarters of the UK’s data centers are located in southern and eastern England. These regions already face water shortages and recurring drought conditions.
Several areas have introduced hosepipe bans following prolonged heatwaves and below-average rainfall. Water UK said additional data centers will be difficult to build unless new water infrastructure is developed.
A House of Lords report published in May estimated that the UK could face a public water supply shortfall of 5 billion liters per day by 2055.
Affinity Water, which serves the Slough area, said around 125 data centers are under construction or in the planning stage. Some developers have requested up to 3 million liters of water per day. That amount is equivalent to the peak daily demand of about 3,500 households.
Water UK estimates that existing data centers currently consume 6.6 million liters of drinking water each day. If the government triples data center capacity by 2030, daily consumption could rise to 19.8 million liters.
Looking ahead, Water UK urged the government to establish clear priorities for water allocation during droughts. The group said clear rules would help prevent conflicts between households, agriculture, and industry.
The UK government said AI development must go hand in hand with sustainable resource management. Officials also highlighted record investment in water infrastructure, including the construction of nine new reservoirs. They added that the government is exploring ways to reduce water use and waste from data centers.
