AIBU to question hosepipe bans while AI water use gets little scrutiny

[MariaMagdalenaa]

AIBU to think it’s ridiculous that there is a hosepipe ban and I cannot water my plants in this heat whilst I see hardly any discussions or questions raised about the massive drain on our water resources by AI?

Water your plants, whose even going to know?!

Is there an AI based in your water region? I don’t think we’re even on a hosepipe ban here.

I am in Kent and yes I won’t let my plants die. It my question was more about why we don’t care about AI water usage which is a lot more damaging for the environment as a whole.

It probably depends where you look. Personally I see a lot of people questioning AI and data centres. Both their water and electric use. In Ireland where I am they use almost 20% of all energy consumption. They are quite the hot topic.

That's right, the rules don't apply to you. You and your plants are special.

Water use by data centres does need investigation, but that doesn't mean you can flout the rules that are there to try to ensure everyone has enough water.

I suggest you look into fracking aswell. Lots of idiots are demanding fracking, but don’t realise how water dependant it is. After fracking, the water has to be treated, at great expense and using a lot energy, before it can (not always possible) be returned to the water course.

A massive downpour less than a week ago, and rain forecast on Saturday. I'd expect the plants to be ok, if a bit heat wilted.

Surely all of the data centres are in the USA? They don’t have any impact on water in Kent. It’s not like water is a resource that can be moved around from the Us to Kent!

Is there a hosepipe ban, after the soggy spring? Indeed, did we actually have spring? While the nanny state is scaring us with dark red weather maps, do they think we have forgotten how much it rained in the first half of the year?

Can you explain how AI uses the same water source (uk reservoirs rivers etc) as your tap? Because I don’t understand how the infrastructure can support the day to day demands from data centres?!

Nope they are in the uk. One just at the side of the m3 near Windsor

Yeah it’s silly. Why are golf courses exempt from hosepipe bans? It’s not our fault the water companies in the UK haven’t maintained the service and built new reservoirs to meet population growth. Always pushed back on to the individuals rather than dealing with root cause.

I know what you mean but I still water plants during a drought with the water leftover from cooking veg, used washing up water, the water collected while I wait for the shower to warm up. Just because that makes me feel better about myself (hate feeling wasteful) but in reality it's a drop in the ocean.

Can’t you just use a watering can or jug?

Agree, OP, that the water consumption related to AI is unacceptable and we should review our indiscriminate use of AI accordingly.
But I also think that hosepipes are used indiscriminately. Collect water in a water butt and use a watering can. You'll find you get through much less water.

YANBU @MariaMagdalenaa

But the concern you rightly raise will be ridiculed and dismissed!

Im pretty sure you can still water things during a hosepipe ban, you just can’t use a hosepipe?

you don’t have to use second hand water (but agree this is less wasteful)

There is no separate water source, where do you think water comes from?

Where else would it come from?

In the grand scheme of things, we hardly have any data centers in the UK. Water use by them is miniscule at present. Sure it might grow in the future, but you are worrying about something which does not exist yet. Water your plants if you like.

As a poster said above I thought there were pretty limited numbers of data centres currently operating in the uk.

eta- @Telemicus has answered that there aren’t

As far as I understand it the coolant for data centres are in a closed loop system and water use is negligible

Where on earth did you get that info from? AI centres consume huge amounts of water.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688cb407dc6688ed50878367/Water_use_in_data_centre_and_AI_report.pdf

So that’s how it’s suported by current infrastructure? It’s reused within their system?

Is there a way we could discuss that without needing to read 25 pages?