Scottish data centres powering AI already using enough water to fill 27 million bottles a year

The data centers powering artificial intelligence (AI) in Scotland use enough tap water to fill 27 million half-litre bottles a year, according to data obtained by BBC News.

Artificial intelligence systems, such as large language models (LLMs) that power OpenAI's ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, require warehouses filled with specialized computers.

The hardware is power-hungry, consuming a lot of power, but it also uses tons of water in its cooling systems to prevent the servers from overheating.

Freedom of Information data shows the volume of piped water used by data centers in Scotland has quadrupled since 2021.

There are currently 16 data centers in Scotland, with this number set to increase in the coming years.

Such centers have powered the digital world for years, managing everything from movie streaming to online banking, but the boom in generative artificial intelligence tools has rapidly increased the amount of energy and water they use.

In an interview with BBC Scotland News, Scottish Water described the increase in the amount of piped water used by data centers as “significant”, although it said it still only made up around 0.005% of the total water supply.

With artificial intelligence booming (60% of the UK population is already using it), Scottish Water wants the sector to look at sustainable alternatives such as wastewater treatment systems.

“We would like to try to find other alternative solutions instead of using precious tap water,” said operations manager Colin Lindsay.

The BBC understands that the majority of data centers in Scotland currently use “open loop” systems, which require a constant supply of mains water.

However, the industry is moving toward more efficient methods such as “closed loop,” which means recycling a fixed amount of water.

Mr Lindsay said: “Open loop systems use huge amounts of water.

“We are working with developers on a case-by-case basis to explore sustainable water sources and reduce demand for public drinking water.”

He said closed-loop cooling systems can increase energy consumption, which is why Scottish Water is encouraging the use of open-loop systems near wastewater treatment plants.

They will use treated wastewater to provide the required water volumes and minimize energy consumption.

It is estimated that a further 100 data centers will be built in the UK alone over the next few years to meet demand for AI processing.

The technology industry does not publish data on water consumption, and all Scottish data centers contacted for this article did not respond to our requests.

Estimated that 10–50 responses using the GPT-3 AI model could require 500 ml of water.

Experts from the University of Glasgow said figures reported by BBC News suggest the amount of water consumed by data centers in Scotland is equivalent to everyone in the country drinking an extra 2.48 liters of water a year.

Other estimates put it at more than 27 million 500ml water bottles.

University modeling also found that the carbon footprint of these data centers could be equivalent to each person in the country driving an extra 90 miles, or 145 kilometers, each year.

This occurred before any expansion of data centers in Scotland.

And it doesn't take into account the environmental impact of Scottish AI users on the rest of the world.

“These numbers are very significant,” said Professor Ana Basiri, director of the university’s Center for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence.

“There's a huge amount of carbon emissions and water use associated with data centers that we often forget about because it's not very visible,” she said.

Many data centers are privately funded by US technology giants such as Google and Microsoft, as well as large investment firms.

But most current owners do not share data about their environmental impact, and Professor Basiri believes this needs to change.

She added: “We can't really measure this because of course the government doesn't necessarily have a strong mandate to report on the details of energy or water use in data centers or other big tech companies that exist, and that's a huge problem.”

Professor Basiri said one way to make data centers more sustainable is to set carbon emissions targets for companies and impose tax penalties for exceeding them.

The scientist said the power used by an artificial intelligence tool such as ChatGPT or Google's Gemini is about 13 times higher than a simple Google search.

She said ordinary people can play a role given their “AI footprint.”

Professor Basiri added: “For example, reducing the number of times we go into these AI chatbot systems when searching on Google would be effective, or considering how you use image generation or what you attach to an email.”

The UK is already ranked as the third largest country in terms of number of data centers after the US and Germany.

The UK Government has made clear that it believes data centres, considered critical national infrastructure along with emergency services and healthcare systems, play a central role in the UK's economic future.

Despite the concerns, Scotland is also being touted as an ideal location for green data center development.

This is due to the cool climate, abundance of renewable energy sources and efficient power grid.

OpenAI, owner of ChatGPT, said it is “seriously thinking” about supporting sustainability efforts and “positive” water goals.

The company said it has several global projects underway in this area.

These include a data center in Norway that “will be powered entirely by renewable energy” and is “expected” to use closed-loop systems.

He added that he believes AI will also be “instrumental” in the fight against climate change by “accelerating scientific discovery.”

A Scottish Government spokesman said: “Together with Scotland's team partners, the Scottish Government is supporting initiatives to make Scotland a global hub for artificial intelligence – through our renewable energy capabilities, strong local technology ecosystems and easy access to local talent and world-class academia.

“However, it is vital that the sector grows sustainably without impacting Scotland’s natural resources or net-zero emissions ambitions.”

They added that Scottish Water is the official consultant on all data center planning applications.

The spokesperson concluded: “Developers are encouraged to adopt measures such as 'closed loop' water systems that aim to reuse data center water and minimize demand, or use sustainable alternatives such as using treated end-of-waste water as a sustainable source of water.”