Intelligence is thirsty

WALTHAM CROSS, ENGLAND: A GAME-CHANGER IN DATA CENTRES

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Waltham Cross, England, Sept. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Google has just launched its new data centre in Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. This is part of a massive £5 billion investment in the UK over the next two years. Chancellor Rachel Reeves inaugurated this cutting-edge facility today. It’s designed to meet the growing demand for Google’s AI-driven services. Think Google Cloud, Workspace, Search, and Maps. These tools are essential for everyone—individuals, businesses, and public organisations alike.

THE WATER USAGE CONUNDRUM

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Did you know that a single interaction with a large language model like GPT-3 can use about 500 millilitres (that’s around half a litre) of water? This is for every 10 to 50 prompts, depending on the location and data centre. It sounds small, right? But when you multiply that by billions of daily interactions, the total water usage skyrockets.

In 2022, Google’s data centres consumed over 21 billion litres of potable water. That’s a whopping 20% increase from the previous year. And Microsoft? Their water usage surged by 34% in the same period, reaching nearly 6.4 million cubic meters.

So, who gives Google the green light to use all that water? Affinity Water is the local supplier to Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire. It raises some eyebrows, doesn’t it?

Image courtesy of WestWater Research. All rights reserved.

UP TO 5 MILLION GALLONS PER DAY

Let’s talk about the supercomputer known as xAI in South Memphis. Estimates say it takes up to 5 million gallons of water per day just to cool it down. That’s a staggering amount! Erin, our beloved source, has been keeping tabs on this since June 2025.

You can read more about it here.

A DIFFERENT APPROACH IN THE UK

Here in the UK, we have the chance to do things differently. We need to do things differently. The UK has been a leader in membrane innovation since the 1960s. Zero discharge and secure loops are not just dreams; they are achievable goals. We’re grateful for the know-how that has come our way.

It’s not rocket science. It’s just about scale. We talked about this a few years back with our shower recycling innovation.

IMPORTANT POINT

Fill it up, use it, capture it, use it again.

The focus needs to shift towards wastewater recycling. But regardless of your source plans, this is crucial.

CALL TO ACTION

If this drawing below accurately illustrates the intended water flow process for your data centre, call me sooner rather than later.

Data Centre water flow process image from google Sept 2025

After seven years of tutelage, I’ve spotted some flaws in this diagram:

• Inefficiency

• Misplaced engineering

• Increased service costs

• Serious environmental impact

  
  

No, I’m not going to explain myself. That’s what business is about.

LET’S CONNECT

I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for stopping by!

Mark

CEO & Founder

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