Scottish Data Centres Quadruple Tap Water Consumption for AI

Data centres powering artificial intelligence in Scotland have quadrupled their tap water consumption since 2021, now using enough water annually to fill 27 million half-litre bottles. Scottish Water described the increase as significant, though the usage currently accounts for 0.005% of the total water supply. The surge is driven by the intensive cooling requirements of generative AI tools and large language models.

To protect public drinking water, Scottish Water is urging developers to transition to closed-loop systems or utilize treated effluent from wastewater treatment plants. The University of Glasgow reports that the carbon footprint of these facilities is equivalent to every person in Scotland driving an additional 90 miles per year.

While the Government of the United Kingdom has designated data centres as critical national infrastructure, the Government of Scotland maintains that the sector must expand sustainably to avoid impacting natural resources or net zero targets. OpenAI stated it considers sustainability and water-positive goals in its operations.