Following the news that Thames Water is reviewing data centers’ water usage;

David Bicknell, Principal Analyst in the Thematic Intelligence Team at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“We have reached an environmental crunch point in the resources needed to run data centers. Switching to water cooling can cut a data center’s electricity usage, but water is an increasingly scarce resource in drought-stricken parts of Europe and the US.

“With the UK experiencing its driest summer for 50 years—and water companies failing to reduce leaks—operators hoping to use 25 liters of drinking water an hour to cool data centers as a cheaper alternative to energy-guzzling refrigeration systems are finding their options running dry. Cleaning up rain or river water is more expensive for operators and will require an environmental license. Yet, using that water may itself reduce the nearby water table.

“Data centers create relatively few jobs, so it’s no wonder local council members are starting to object to using local land and environmental resources for data center development. In early 2022, South Dublin County Council passed a motion to prevent further local data center development until 2028 as part of its County Development Plan. It’s unlikely to be the last organization to take such a decision.”

Chris Drake, Principal Analyst, Data Center Technologies at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“In recent years, so-called hyperscale data centers have managed to achieve high levels of energy efficiency thanks to the use of energy efficient designs, modern cooling systems, and a reliance on renewable energy. However, as existing data centers are expanded and new ones built, often in key hub locations, this puts mounting pressure on finite land, energy and water resources.

“With many parts of the world experiencing prolonged periods of drought and the likelihood of future recurring drought, this will attract growing scrutiny and criticism of the way data centers consume water and encourage pressure for new restrictions to be introduced. Although switching to alternative cooling systems could, in many cases, help address existing pressures, switching to alternative technologies rarely happens overnight.”