Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of data centres on (a) local water availability, (b) chalk streams and (c) other sensitive waterways.

Most data centres source their water from public water supply. Water companies are not required to provide businesses with water if this risks supply to households or would impact their environmental protection obligations. Data centres should embed water efficiency in their design, consider the type of cooling technology being selected and the location of the data centre to protect water supplies and the local water environment.