As the UK faces worsening drought conditions, environmental officials are calling on the public to take small steps to conserve water. Among the suggestions: delete old emails and unused photos. The reason, they explained, is that data centres which store this content require vast amounts of water to cool their systems.
What are the authorities saying?
Helen Wakeham, Environment Agency Director of Water, said: “The current situation is nationally significant, and we are calling on everyone to play their part and help reduce the pressure on our water environment. Simple, everyday choices, such as turning off a tap or deleting old emails, also really helps the collective effort to reduce demand and help preserve the health of our rivers and wildlife.”
Which areas are most affected?
Formal drought declarations have been issued in Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, the East Midlands and the West Midlands. Current reservoir levels have fallen to 67.7%, well below the usual 80.5% expected at this time of year.
How much water do data centres consume?
According to a report in The Verge, Even small data centres can use more than 25 million litres of water annually if they rely on outdated cooling methods. In 2021, Google’s data centre in Oregon used 355 million gallons — enough to fill over 500 Olympic-sized swimming pools. With artificial intelligence driving demand for ever-larger facilities, experts warn water use will rise sharply.
What other measures are suggested?
Officials have urged citizens to make everyday changes such as collecting rainwater, fixing leaking toilets, reusing kitchen water for plants, and cutting shower times. Together with reducing digital storage, these steps are seen as vital to easing the strain on water resources.