Thames Water to probe data centres’ water usage
Thames Water has said it is investigating the impact of data centres on the water supply in the London area.
“We know there is increased demand for data centres and we have started a targeted exercise to understand how much water is used by them,” John Hernon, Thames Water Strategic Development Manager, said in a statement.
“We want to work collaboratively with new centres to reduce their overall water usage and ensure there is enough water for everyone,” Hernon said.
The water company stated that it is already working with consultants planning to build new data centres in the Slough area.
“Our main objective is to reduce the amount of water required to run a data centre. It isn’t necessary for data centres to use potable water (drinking quality) for cooling. We want to look at how raw water (non-drinking water) can be used and reused,” Hernon added.
News of the review comes ahead of a hosepipe ban for 10 million Thames Water customers, which comes into effect tomorrow.
The company announced the ban after it said record temperatures led to a drop in water levels.
But Thames Water has also been widely criticised for failing to address numerous leaks across its network.