Not enough water for UK’s datacentre plans, trade body says
Summary
The UK faces a shortage of water to support its planned growth of datacentres, which need large amounts of water to cool their servers. The water industry warns that government plans do not consider these water needs, and current water supplies are already under pressure due to droughts and hosepipe bans.Key Facts
- Datacentres use a lot of water for cooling, humidifying, and electricity needs.
- Water UK, representing water companies, says government water forecasts ignore datacentre demand.
- The Environment Agency’s water resource plans also do not include datacentre water use estimates.
- Most datacentres are being built in water-stressed areas in the south and east of England.
- Water shortages may make new datacentre construction impossible without new policies or increased water supply.
- Building new reservoirs can take up to 15 years.
- Datacentres currently use about 6.6 million litres of drinking water daily, which could triple by 2030.
- Water companies have reduced leaks by 40% but critics say water waste through leaks still greatly exceeds savings from water use restrictions.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
