Data Centres: Water Supply
(asked on 13th July 2026) - View Source
Question to the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology:
To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the development of AI data centres on local energy and water resources.
Answered by
Kanishka Narayan
Minister of State (Cabinet Office) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Technology)
The Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology engages regularly with the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to ensure the UK energy system supports the UK’s growing digital and AI‑driven demand. DSIT also engages closely with DEFRA and the Environment Agency, recognising the need to ensure AI infrastructure does not compromise the resilience of public water supplies.