England’s most severe drought in decades has led the UK government to urge citizens to delete old emails and unused digital files in a bid to conserve water.
The appeal is part of a broader effort to address what the Environment Agency has declared a “nationally significant incident”, with multiple regions under hosepipe bans and rivers drying up.
Officials warn that digital clutter is quietly consuming millions of litres of water annually through the operation of data centres, which rely heavily on water for cooling.
The move highlights an unexpected link between the country’s water crisis, technological growth, and the expanding demands of the digital economy.
Digital data storage and water use
Data centres that store emails, photos, and other online files require constant cooling to function effectively.
According to figures cited in The Verge, a 1-megawatt data centre can use up to 26 million litres of water each year, with older evaporative cooling systems consuming even more.
Although companies are experimenting with alternatives such as liquid-cooled servers, renewable-powered facilities, and undersea storage infrastructure, these methods are far from becoming standard practice.
UK authorities are now encouraging the public to reduce unnecessary digital storage as one way to lower this hidden water consumption and ease pressure on already strained resources.
Regions under drought restrictions
Several areas, including Yorkshire, Cumbria, Lancashire, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, Cheshire, the East Midlands, and the West Midlands, have been officially declared in drought.
Other regions such as the Northeast, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, East Anglia, Thames, Wessex, Solent, and the South Downs are experiencing “prolonged dry weather”, a stage just before formal drought classification.
The National Drought Group has advised citizens to adopt water-saving measures, from repairing leaking taps to limiting outdoor water use.
In Yorkshire, a full hosepipe ban is in effect, with Thames Water, South East Water, and Southern Water enforcing postcode-specific restrictions to manage dwindling supplies.
Climate impacts and visible changes
The drought has exposed historical structures such as long-submerged bridges, while farmers face lower crop yields due to parched soil and reduced irrigation capacity.
Chief Meteorologist Dr. Will Lang of the Met Office has warned that temperatures could reach the mid-30s in parts of southern England, with hot and dry conditions expected to persist through late August.
These weather patterns are intensifying pressure on water supplies, raising concerns about ecosystem damage, and prompting urgent discussions about climate adaptation measures across the UK.
Government and agency action
The Environment Agency is urging immediate behavioural changes alongside infrastructure planning to address future climate challenges. The focus includes both physical conservation measures and less obvious steps like reducing digital storage.
Authorities stress that even small actions taken collectively could help lower the overall demand on water systems, safeguarding river health and wildlife during extended dry periods while building resilience for future drought events.
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