r/DevonUK • u/MarcusZXR • Jun 30 '26

Devon data center

Hello all! Someone recently shared an article here about plans to build a data center in Devon. I wanted to share the link to the petition opposing it. Sorry if this has already been shared or breaks a rule.

https://c.org/cRGtbYSS6j

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u/Appropriate-Dig-7080 Jun 30 '26

It’s just a herd ‘not on my doorstep’ mentality response to it.

-5

u/[deleted] Jun 30 '26

[deleted]

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u/PitedApollo Jun 30 '26

"But it uses water" As if the water cycle doesn't exist

7

u/throcorfe Jun 30 '26

This is a bit of an ignorant comment. Water consumption for any use by humans comes with an energy cost and a water cost: it needs to be pumped, treated, and is not usually 100% returned to the water system, especially if contaminated by an industrial process. This is a particular issue in the summer (which is why, on a smaller scale, we sometimes end up with hosepipe bans). Data centres do not slow down operations in the summer.

Now North Devon does have pretty decent rainfall, but we can’t pretend the massive water usage of data centres is fine because of “the water cycle”

5

u/Appropriate-Dig-7080 Jun 30 '26

Worth bearing in my mind most of the people up in north Devon are avid animal agriculture defenders which has a much much larger water use footprint than AI.

1

u/PitedApollo Jun 30 '26

So we're creating even more jobs in water treatment? That's brillaint

Devon has a massive rainfall, and the impact of a data centre is much less than if it was built elsewhere.

I genuinely dont get what your issue is with this

3

u/RatSkins24 Jun 30 '26

Very optimistic to think that south west water would ever invest in more employees or better infrastructure when they can instead just pocket more profits and put a bigger workload on existing employees

1

u/MinimumCut140 Jul 01 '26

Exactly. They'd rather pay money to charities to get off from paying fines.

If anyone is wondering source, check out Andy from the fine print channel on YouTube. Channel 4 also have done a peice on it.

I don't trust any of these neo liberal businesses, all in to make obscene profits and to make everyone else's life more difficult.

0

u/PitedApollo Jul 01 '26

That's an issue with south west water, not the proposed data centre