Written questions

Data Centres: Water

Commons · Question 23477 · Tabled 28 Aug 2026 · Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs · Official record

Answered 4 Sep 2026

Question

Asked by Blake Stephenson

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 water supplies in the East of England.

Answer

Answered by Emma Hardy, 4 Sep 2026

The data centre sector is expected to grow in the coming year, and Defra is working across Government to determine how to increase water efficiency and reduce data centre water demand, considering the available and emerging evidence on water use in data c...