Data centers in England have a relatively low water footprint, according to a new report from tech sector lobbying group techUK.

Water usage amongst data centers has become a hot topic over recent years, due to the often water-intensive nature of their cooling systems. However, in the English market, it seems that the issue is nowhere near as pronounced.

The report, which was built on data gathered in collaboration with the Environment Agency and includes research into 73 data center facilities across England, found that 64 percent of surveyed data centers use less than 10,000 m³ of water per year.

The reason for the reduced water usage, according to techUK, is primarily due to the use of waterless cooling systems, with 51 percent of surveyed sites deploying said systems. In addition, the survey found that 89 percent of sites either measure water use or deploy systems that do not require water. As a result, the report found that only four percent of sites use more than 100,000 m³ annually.

“I am encouraged by the work techUK has undertaken to better understand water usage – the findings suggest UK data centers are utilizing a range of cooling technologies and becoming more water conscious. Advancements in technology 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 minimises water use in line with evolving standards,” said Richard Thompson, deputy director for Water Resources at the Environment Agency.

While the report reveals that UK data centers use comparably a lot less water than data centers in other countries, it also contends that more can be done to improve gaps in data and planning.

“As demand for compute grows, we must plan ahead. We need smart policies, resilient infrastructure, and stronger data to ensure digital and environmental resilience go hand in hand,” said Matthew Evans, director of markets and COO, techUK.

Consequently, the report makes several recommendations to ensure that data center growth is aligned with water sustainability. The recommendations include building new reservoirs and investing in modern water infrastructure, developing a water exploitation index for each major river basin to map water stress, and creating a digital-first water strategy to embed smart monitoring and leak prevention.

However, concerns over data center water use still resonate. In August, the National Drought Group suggested deleting old emails to save on water amid a “nationally significant” water shortfall in the country.

The data cited in the report should come with a grain of salt. Data centers rarely share water usage data, and the total water usage of the sector in the UK is unknown. While the report surveyed 73 data centers in England, the UK is thought to have around 500 operational facilities.

Outside of the UK market, there are more apparent concerns over water usage, especially in drought-prone areas. In a May report by Bloomberg, it was reported that close to two-thirds of new data centers constructed or in development in the US since 2022 have been in locations with high levels of water stress.

Last year, in Chile, Google was forced to delay a data center after an environmental court ordered the company to revise its application, amid local pushback and water concerns over its use of the capital’s strained aquifer.