Digital water footprint statement
Waterwise recognises that the digital services we all rely on, from sending and storing emails to using AI tools, have both a carbon and a water footprint, as data centres and networks require large volumes of energy and water for cooling.
While there is currently no published evidence quantifying the water used in a standard email, research into data-centre impacts indicates that all digital activity carries an environmental cost. The scale of this cost depends on factors such as data-centre location, energy source, cooling technology, and water reuse. As digital workloads increase and AI becomes more widely adopted, the overall water demand of the digital sector is expected to grow.
As one of the first organisations in the UK to adopt a four-day week, and operating as a fully remote team, Waterwise is committed to efficiency and innovation. However, we also recognise the need to better understand the hidden impacts of digital working. With workloads expanding and many organisations turning to AI to support productivity, it is vital that we quantify both the water and carbon implications of these shifts.
We therefore encourage the technology and data sectors to prioritise transparency in reporting their environmental footprints, including water use alongside carbon, to enable informed decision-making and collective responsibility for sustainability.
Waterwise will continue to explore this emerging issue and will consider how best to reflect it within our own work, sector leadership, and organisational sustainability framework.
Published October 2025.
