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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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