Uk’s largest proposed data center accused of drastically understating water consumption plans

A major controversy is brewing over water usage estimates for what would become the UK’s largest data center, with new analysis suggesting the facility could consume 50 times more water than its developers claim.

The hyperscale data center campus planned for Cambois in Northumberland has already received approval from local authorities for its first phase of construction. US operator QTS, the company behind the massive project, has been actively promoting what it calls a “water-free” cooling system as evidence of the facility’s environmental sustainability credentials.

However, independent analysis challenges these claims, indicating that actual water consumption at the Northumberland site could be dramatically higher than QTS’s public estimates suggest. This discrepancy raises serious questions about the true environmental impact of the facility and whether local water resources can sustain such a large-scale operation.

The findings highlight a growing concern about data centers’ environmental footprint, particularly their water usage for cooling systems. As demand for digital services continues to surge, these massive facilities require enormous amounts of energy and water to maintain optimal operating temperatures for their servers. The apparent mismatch between QTS’s projections and the independent analysis could signal broader issues with how tech companies calculate and report their resource consumption, especially as communities increasingly scrutinize large infrastructure projects for their environmental impact on local ecosystems and water supplies.