Summary
- EurEau has called for water availability to become a binding criterion before AI data centre acceleration zones are designated.
- The organisation wants local resource constraints considered during permitting, particularly in water-stressed areas.
- The proposals have not been adopted as new European legal requirements.
EurEau has called on European policymakers to make local water availability a binding consideration when designating AI infrastructure acceleration zones and granting data centre permits.
The association, which represents European drinking water and wastewater services, argues that the expansion of computing infrastructure must be coordinated with water resource planning rather than assessed separately from the needs of households, industry, and public services.
Its intervention follows a summer during which water scarcity affected parts of Europe, exposing the economic and operational consequences of pressure on available supplies.
EurEau wants authorities to evaluate local water resources before identifying locations for accelerated data centre development. It also argues that permit decisions should account for the availability of water rather than rely exclusively on the efficiency characteristics of the proposed installation.
The organisation’s position is a request for binding policy measures. No new European Union requirement has been adopted as a direct consequence of the statement.
Water requirements differ substantially between data centres. Cooling technology, local weather conditions, computing density, operating temperatures, and the availability of alternative water sources all influence the quantity required.
Some cooling systems use evaporation to reject heat, reducing the need for mechanical refrigeration under suitable conditions. The approach can lower certain electrical loads but requires a continuing water supply and equipment to manage water quality.
Dry cooling reduces direct water consumption by rejecting heat to the surrounding air. Its performance and electrical requirements depend on ambient conditions, equipment design, and the temperatures at which the cooling system must operate.
Neither arrangement offers an identical balance of resource use across every location. In areas experiencing water scarcity, reducing water consumption may take priority over maximising a particular electrical efficiency measure.
Developers may also consider reclaimed or other non-potable supplies, although their availability, treatment requirements, and connection arrangements must be established for the specific site.
Resource accounting needs to distinguish water withdrawn from a supply system from water consumed through evaporation or other processes. The distinction affects how a proposed facility is assessed against the needs of other users.
Accelerated planning procedures introduce another consideration. A decision to promote a location for AI infrastructure may influence the number and scale of subsequent applications, increasing the importance of evaluating cumulative demand before development begins.
EurEau is seeking a binding assessment at that earlier strategic stage, rather than leaving every question about water availability to the detailed design of individual installations.
Project-specific assessments would still be required. The actual cooling system, maximum operating load, permitted abstraction, and arrangements for treating or discharging water determine how a particular facility interacts with local resources.
The association’s position also raises questions about the relationship between national water authorities, planning departments, and European digital infrastructure policy. Binding criteria would need clear methods for assessing scarcity and determining how competing requirements are weighed.
European authorities already examine various aspects of data centre energy and environmental performance. However, reporting a resource efficiency indicator does not establish that the absolute quantity of water required is compatible with local supply conditions.
EurEau is asking policymakers to make that compatibility a condition considered before an acceleration zone or individual project receives approval.
The proposal will depend on subsequent legislative and policy decisions. Its practical effect cannot be established until authorities determine whether to adopt the requirement and how water availability would be measured and enforced.
