Explosive growth in artificial intelligence is sharply increasing water demand at data centres, where server cooling for every AI prompt can consume vast volumes of water through evaporative and chiller-based systems. New analysis cited by ISOIL Industria points to “hidden” withdrawals at hyperscale facilities, particularly in water‑stressed regions, where cooling towers and adiabatic systems can rival local industrial use. For miners hosting or supplying power to such centres, the findings signal a need for integrated water‑balance modelling, metering and reuse strategies to protect allocations for processing plants and communities.

Plans for the Northfleet Harbourside regeneration in Gravesend, Kent – including 3,500 homes on a 20ha Thames waterfront site – have been refused over concerns residents could face “chronic exposure to toxic lead”. The brownfield site, formerly used for heavy industry, was judged to pose an unacceptable long-term health risk despite proposed remediation measures. The decision signals tougher scrutiny of contamination risk assessments and remediation strategies on large riverside regeneration schemes with legacy industrial pollution.

Dice Environmental has expanded its ecology services under new associate ecologist Rob Halcrow to support clients with Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) planning requirements. The offer now covers Preliminary Ecological Appraisals, UKHab habitat surveys, BNG assessments with statutory metric calculations, protected species and bat surveys, Ecological Impact Assessments, and Ecological Clerk of Works (ECoW) support. Early-stage ecological input is positioned to help developers, architects and planning consultants identify constraints sooner, commission proportionate surveys and reduce programme and planning consent risk on infrastructure schemes.