Delete emails to help conserve water (and support data centers), England drought officials say

England’s National Drought Group has advised millions of residents to delete old emails and photos to help conserve water during the country’s driest six-month period since 1976. The unusual recommendation stems from the fact that data centers storing digital information require vast amounts of water to cool their systems, creating an unexpected link between digital habits and water conservation during drought conditions.

What you should know: England is experiencing severe drought conditions with five areas under formal drought declarations and reservoirs averaging just 67.7% full compared to the typical 80.5% for this time of year.

• The affected regions include Yorkshire; Cumbria and Lancashire; Greater Manchester, Merseyside and Cheshire; the East Midlands; and the West Midlands.
• Several water companies have already imposed hosepipe bans in drought-affected areas.
• Six additional areas are experiencing prolonged dry weather conditions.

The data center connection: Digital infrastructure consumes enormous quantities of water for cooling systems that keep servers running 24/7 to store and process internet traffic, including personal emails.

• Google’s data center in The Dalles, Oregon, used 355 million gallons of water in 2021 alone—enough to fill roughly 538 Olympic-size swimming pools.
• The U.S. currently operates more than 5,000 AI data centers, with Virginia hosting over 500 facilities and Texas and California each maintaining more than 300.

In plain English: Think of data centers like massive warehouses filled with thousands of computers that never turn off—they’re constantly working to store your emails, photos, and every piece of information on the internet. Just like your laptop gets hot when it works hard, these warehouse-sized computer facilities generate enormous amounts of heat and need industrial-scale air conditioning systems that use water for cooling, similar to how a car radiator works.

Why this matters: The advice highlights an often-overlooked environmental impact of digital storage as AI infrastructure expansion accelerates across the globe.

• The White House’s July AI Action Plan called for streamlined data center construction and reduced environmental regulations to support AI development.
• Large-scale AI infrastructure investments are reshaping local energy and water demands, creating new intersections between digital policy and resource management.

What they’re saying: Helen Wakeham, director of water at the U.K. Environment Agency and National Drought Group chair, emphasized the collective nature of conservation efforts.

• “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,” Wakeham said in a government press release.
• “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.”

Regulatory response: California’s Energy Commission requires water supply assessments for data center projects and mandates recycled water use where feasible.

• “When evaluating a project, one of the required questions is: Would the project have sufficient water supplies available to serve the project and reasonably foreseeable future development during normal, dry, and multiple dry years?” the commission told Newsweek.
• California’s Water Code prohibits using potable water where recycled water is available and economically feasible, including for cooling systems.