Potential New European Regulations for Cloud Service Providers Regarding Water Usage
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In the digital age, the growing demand for data centers in the European Union (EU) is raising concerns about their water consumption and impact on the continent's water resources. This article, titled "Future European water norms worry cloud actors" from Le Monde Informatique, delves into the EU's efforts to manage water consumption in data centers, supported by industry leaders and regulatory bodies alike.
The EU aims to build a smart water economy to ensure equitable access to clean water and sustainably manage its supply. To achieve this, the European Commission has published the European Water Resilience Strategy, which includes a focus on data centers due to their increasing water and electricity needs.
Data centers, which consume large volumes of water (often ultra-pure) for cooling, are a significant contributor to the digital sector's carbon footprint. According to a study by Hubblo, data centers already represent 42% of the digital sector's carbon footprint.
To address this issue, the EU Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) requires data center owners and operators across all 27 member countries to annually report detailed data on their energy and water usage to an EU database. This transparency is a foundational step for monitoring and managing resource consumption.
Water consumption in data centers mainly stems from cooling systems needed to dissipate heat generated by servers. Liquid cooling, which relies heavily on water, remains the most efficient and commonly used method despite its high water demand. Advanced liquid cooling systems are sometimes designed to require minimal refilling after initial setup, improving water efficiency.
The rise of AI and high-density computing exacerbates cooling needs and hence water consumption, pushing operators and regulators to seek sustainable data center designs. For example, Microsoft has announced designs for data centers that use no water for cooling, moving toward sustainability beyond mere regulatory compliance.
Local challenges have emerged where data centers exert pressure on regional water supplies, leading to opposition and demands for stricter controls. Cases in the Netherlands and Romania reveal that local authorities initially underestimated water needs, causing community pushback and legal challenges. These situations underscore the importance of integrating water resource impact assessments into data center permitting processes.
The broader European Water Resilience Strategy emphasizes sustainable water use amid increasing climate risks and water stress. By enforcing water usage reporting, encouraging innovation in cooling technologies, and addressing local resource conflicts, the EU aims to balance digital infrastructure growth with water sustainability goals.
CISPE, an organization known as Cloud Infrastructure Providers in Europe, has published reports titled "Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!" and "Advancing water resilience through digital innovation and responsible stewardship." They have also submitted their recommendations to the Commission in their report, urging for a balanced approach that considers the potential cost increases and de-localization of actors outside the EU due to regulatory uncertainty.
In summary, the EU’s approach combines regulatory oversight (EED reporting requirements), technological innovation (water-free or minimal water cooling), and local stakeholder engagement to manage the water consumption of data centers, thereby supporting the objectives of the European Water Resilience Strategy in ensuring sustainable water resources as digital demands expand.
This article is accompanied by a cover photo by Michael Ungacta. We encourage readers to share this article and contribute to the ongoing conversation about digital sustainability in the EU.
[1] European Commission. (2020). European Water Resilience Strategy. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/europe-green-deal/ circular-economy/water-resilience-strategy_en
[2] CISPE. (2021). Advancing water resilience through digital innovation and responsible stewardship. Retrieved from https://cispe.cloud/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/CISPE-Water-Resilience-Report-Final-V2.pdf
[3] CISPE. (2021). Don't throw the baby out with the bath water!. Retrieved from https://cispe.cloud/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/CISPE-Position-Paper-Water-2021.pdf
[4] ADEME. (2021). Expert opinion on data centers or data processing centers. Retrieved from https://www.ademe.fr/sites/default/files/2021-03/Expertise%20ADEME%20sur%20les%20centres%20de%20donn%C3%A9es%20ou%20centres%20de%20traitement%20de%20donn%C3%A9es.pdf
[5] Hubblo. (2021). Imported impacts of data centers: the blind spot in territorial analyses of digital impacts. Retrieved from https://www.hubblo.eu/research/imported-impacts-of-data-centers-the-blind-spot-in-territorial-analyses-of-digital-impacts/
- The European Water Resilience Strategy, aiming to ensure sustainable water resources, includes a focus on data centers due to their increasing water and electricity needs, emphasizing the importance of data-and-cloud-computing innovation in addressing climate-change issues and reducing the digital sector's carbon footprint.
- To strike a balance between digital infrastructure growth and water sustainability goals, the EU is enforcing water usage reporting, encouraging innovation in cooling technologies, and addressing local resource conflicts within the realm of environmental-science, as part of their efforts to build a smart water economy.
- As data centers consume large volumes of water, especially ultra-pure water, for cooling, the development and implementation of advanced, low-water-consumption cooling systems represent an crucial innovation in the realm of science and technology, supporting the EU's objective of creating a resilient water economy that sustains the needs of both digital growth and environmental conservation.
