The United Kingdom is currently facing one of the worst droughts in decades. The past six months have been recorded as the driest period since 1976, with five regions officially declared in drought and six more potentially joining the list if the shortage of rainfall continues. As August begins, the country is enduring its fourth heat wave of summer, prompting the government to classify this drought as “an incident of national importance.” This line of action underlines the urgency of the crisis confronting the nation.
While some regions in Spain are also grappling with severe drought conditions, Spaniards are generally more accustomed to this climate phenomenon than the British. In response to the crisis, the UK government has initiated measures to tackle the situation, one of which includes publishing a guide detailing how citizens can conserve water at home. A surprising tip from this guide is to “delete emails and old photos because data centers require large amounts of water to cool their systems.”
The Effectiveness of Some Solutions from the British Government is Very Debatable
According to Helen Wakeham , the Water Management Director at the UK Environment Agency , “The current situation is of national importance, so we call on all citizens to play their part in reducing pressure on our water environment.” This plea is certainly valid; encouraging citizens to conserve water during a time of scarcity is a prudent approach. However, the practicality and effectiveness of some of the suggested measures remain questionable.
While most of the recommendations put forth by the government are reasonable, there is a particular suggestion regarding email deletion whose effectiveness is highly dubious. The National Drought Group has proposed several practical measures to conserve water, including:
- Install a tank to collect rainwater for gardening use
- Repair any leaks in toilets, as dripping toilets can waste between 200 to 400 liters of water daily
- Reuse kitchen water to irrigate plants
- Avoid watering grass, as it will recover in time
- Turn off taps while brushing teeth or shaving
- Limit shower time
- Delete emails and old photos, since data centers use significant amounts of water for cooling their systems
While the first six recommendations present clear and actionable solutions for citizens to conserve water, the last suggestion regarding email deletion appears to have minimal impact on overall water consumption. Although it’s true that data centers need water for cooling through evaporation , the act of deleting emails and photos is unlikely to lead to significant water savings. The process of searching for and removing these files probably consumes more energy and water than simply leaving the files stored. Therefore, while the intent behind the advice may be noble, its practicality is questionable.
Image | Nadas Photography
More information can be found on the official website of the United Kingdom Government.
In Xataka , there is also a discussion about the state of Spanish reservoirs and how they will cope with the prolonged heat following recent periods of rain that have left them overflowing.