Scotland’s artificial intelligence data centres are consuming enough tap water to fill 27 million half-litre bottles every year, the BBC has reported.
According to figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests, the volume of tap water used by these facilities has quadrupled since 2021. The surge is linked to the expansion of AI technologies such as ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini, which require extensive data processing capacity and energy-intensive cooling systems.
Scottish Water described the increase as “significant”, but clarified that it represents only about 0.005% of the national water supply. Colin Lindsay, operations manager at the utility, told BBC Scotland News: “We would like to explore other alternative solutions rather than using precious tap water.”
Experts at the University of Glasgow told BBC News the figures imply that the country’s data centre water use equates to every person in Scotland effectively consuming an additional 2.48 litres annually, with a carbon footprint “equivalent to driving an extra 90 miles per person each year”. Professor Ana Basiri, director of the university’s Centre for Data Science and AI, added: “There is a considerable amount of carbon dioxide emissions and water consumption linked to data centres that we often overlook because it is not very visible.”
The BBC reported that most Scottish data centres still depend on “open loop” cooling systems, which use continuous mains water flow. However, the industry is “transitioning towards more efficient closed-loop systems that recirculate water”, though this may slightly increase energy consumption.
Scottish Water is urging developers to situate new facilities near wastewater treatment plants, where treated effluent could be repurposed for cooling. Lindsay told the BBC: “If we had to supply all that with tap water, then that would be a real concern.”
With plans for a large AI industrial park in Ayrshire already confirmed, the BBC warned that water demand is expected to rise further as Scotland cements its role in powering the UK’s AI revolution.
