An application to build a massive new data centre in Wickenham, Essex is currently being considered by Basildon Council. Quite apart from the huge carbon footprint this facility would leave (equivalent to 5 international airports per year), it would also require enormous quantities of water. Essex is the driest county in the UK. 

This summer we have had hosepipe bans in many areas of the UK due to a period of 6 months, March-August, with hardly any rain. Droughts - like floods - are only going to become more frequent occurrences with climate change and we need to be investing in our water infrastructure to improve our resilience to both extremes. Not putting additional pressure on our far from stable water reserves. Without water nothing will live. All the AI in the world will be useless to us if we can't water the crops we need to grow for our food or even if we just outright die of thirst!

Please sign this petition to ask Basildon Council not to approve this application until they have received assurances that the water infrastructure in the area will be developed enough to be able to cope.