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Forget a hosepipe ban - UK government suggests we help combat drought by
deleting old emails and pictures

Date:
Sat, 16 Aug 2025 10:26:00 +0000

Description:
UK authorities link digital storage habits to water conservation amid a
nationally significant drought.

FULL STORY

The UK government has proposed an unconventional way to contribute to water
conservation during the countrys ongoing drought - deleting old emails and
pictures. 

ThE suggestion came from the National Drought Group , which includes
government agencies, water companies, and environmental experts. 

The ongoing drought in England has been declared a national incident 
following the driest six months since 1976.

Six months of extreme dryness prompt government-level alert

The reasoning behind the advice is linked to the operation of data centers,
which support services such as email hosting , cloud storage, and email
services . 

These facilities use large volumes of water to cool servers and maintain
optimal performance, so by reducing the amount of stored data, the argument
goes, demand on data center capacity could be lowered, potentially cutting
water consumption. 

However, the real-world effect of such personal digital cleanups is 
uncertain. 

While data centers do consume large amounts of water, particularly in
high-density computing operations, experts have not presented clear evidence
showing that deleting small amounts of personal data measurably reduces their
cooling needs. 

Critics suggest that structural changes, like reducing leaks and improving
water infrastructure, would have a more immediate and tangible impact. 

The drought has already prompted hosepipe bans in parts of Yorkshire, the
South East, and other affected regions. 

Reservoirs have dropped to 67.7% capacity on average across England, far 
below the early August norm of over 80%. 

Some are now below 50%, with river flows at historically low levels in 
certain areas. 

Prolonged dry conditions and multiple heatwaves have worsened the situation,
affecting agriculture, wildlife, and public water supply. 

Water companies have intensified leak repairs, with some fixing over 800 each
week, and smart meters are being used to identify problem areas. 

Public awareness campaigns have encouraged traditional water-saving actions
such as taking shorter showers, fixing leaking toilets, and collecting
rainwater for garden use. 

The inclusion of a digital storage cleanup in official conservation messaging
reflects a broader recognition that water consumption is linked not only to
domestic and industrial activities, but also to the infrastructure supporting
online life. 

The growing demand for cloud storage and generative AI has added to the load
on data centers, and environmental reports have shown measurable water use
from AI processing tasks. 

Whether deleting old files will have an impact on water supplies remains open
to question. 

However, England is in dire need of a solution for the drought, and small,
everyday actions, whether at home or online, are part of the collective 
effort to protect the countrys strained water resources. 

"Simple, everyday choices, such as turning off a tap or deleting old emails,
also help the collective effort to reduce demand and help preserve the health
of our rivers and wildlife," said Helen Wakeham, Director of Water at the
Environment Agency.

======================================================================
Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/pro/forget-a-hosepipe-ban-uk-government-suggests-we-
help-combat-drought-by-deleting-old-emails-and-pictures

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