The hosepipe ban has led to criticism of Ireland's data centres, but how much water do they use?
Ireland's implementation of hosepipe bans during a heatwave has sparked public and political debate regarding the water consumption of data centers. Critics argue that the industry should face usage restrictions similar to those imposed on households.
Why it matters
The tension highlights the growing conflict between the infrastructure needs of the digital economy and the environmental impact on local resources during climate-induced shortages.
THE INCOMING HOSEPIPE bans announced yesterday by Uisce Éireann have brought the huge amount of water used to cool data centres back into the spotlight.
The ongoing spell of hot weather is leading to water shortages and Uisce Éireann said it was now asking people to conserve water for essential use only and restrict the use of hoses.
This has sparked angry reactions online, with politicians and members of the public complaining that the data centre industry has not been put under any restrictions while households and other businesses are.
“We need to know how much of the water consumed in Dublin is consumed by data centres,” People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy said in a post on social media reacting to the announcement of the six-week ban, which will come into effect in Dublin and five other counties from midnight this Thursday.
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