THIS WEEK THE UK government published a list of ways for people to save water during the severe drought affecting parts of Britain.

Its rundown included the usual tips such as don’t water your lawn and turn off taps when brushing your teeth. However one suggestion was more unusual: it urged people to “delete old emails and pictures” as water-hungry data centres require “vast” amounts of H2O to keep their machinery cool.

Could such a suggestion work here? No, according to our water services operator. 

Getting people to clear their old emails – no matter how many unreads there may be waiting to be binned – would have a “negligible” impact, a spokesperson for Uisce Éireann told The Journal.

“While it is true that some data centres use water for cooling purposes, and in certain regions of the world this can represent a notable environmental footprint, the impact of individual file deletions —such as old photos or videos—on overall water consumption in Ireland would be negligible,” the spokesperson said.

The UK government’s National Drought Group issued its advice in the face of a severe water shortfall. Two rivers in England were at their lowest levels on record for July, while drought has been declared in six regions, including Yorkshire, Lancashire and Greater Manchester.

But targeting old emails may also be unwise for another reason, according to Uisce Éireann. Data centres are also designed to “operate efficiently, often using air cooling or recycled water systems,” the spokesperson said.

Instead, Uisce Éireann wants people to continue following the usual advice for using less water, from taking shorter showers to cleaning your car in a more efficient way.

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“There are many simple steps that people in Ireland can take to reduce their water usage and which, collectively, can have a much more positive impact on conserving our precious water supplies, the spokesperson added.

The company has more advice on conserving water here.