Artificial Intelligence Is Growing – Here's Why I'm Collecting Rainwater

Artificial Intelligence is growing faster than ever before. Every week we hear about new AI tools, larger data centres and billions of pounds being invested in the technology of the future. Most people see this as progress. But when I started reading about what these enormous data centres actually need to operate, one thing stood out above everything else - water. That discovery changed the way I think about preparing for the future.

I'm not writing this because I think we can stop AI. We can't. Nor am I believe technology is inherently bad, I use AI and I use technology. But I do believe that as demand for electricity and fresh water continues to rise, every family should be thinking about how they can become a little more resilient. For me, that starts with something wonderfully simple: collecting rainwater.

Whether you love AI or hate it, one thing is becoming increasingly clear, the future is going to require enormous amounts of electricity and fresh water to run the technology.

Data centres already consume huge amounts of power, and many also depend on water to help keep their servers cool. As artificial intelligence grows, so too will the demand for these essential resources. On the other side of government, we have the race for Net Zero, the National Grid in the UK has already warned of future power cuts due to the inability to be able to predict the electricity capacity because of green power. Across the UK this year alone, we have seen thousands of homes without electricity for extended periods of time.

Our population continues to grow. New housing estates appear across the country. Water companies regularly warn about future shortages, ageing pipes leak millions of litres every day, and every summer we seem to hear discussions about drought, hosepipe bans and protecting our reservoirs.

Whether AI is the main cause or simply another pressure on an already stretched system almost doesn't matter. The reality is that we cannot control government policy. We cannot stop new housing developments, and we cannot decide where data centres are built. We also cannot control how much electricity large corporations consume, but what we can control is what happens within the boundaries of our own homes.

Stop Worrying. Start Preparing.

I've reached the point where I no longer want to spend my time worrying about what governments or corporations are doing. I'd rather prepare. History teaches us that societies become stronger when families become more resilient. Throughout the Bible, I read the countless number of stories where families were warned by God and prepared for the time to come. These people trusted in God and had faith in Him as a deliverer.

Therefore, instead of depending on every service working perfectly all the time, we can begin taking small steps towards becoming a little more self-sufficient and preparing our lives for this time to come.

Water Is Too Valuable to Waste

Fresh water is one of the most precious resources on Earth. I'm baffled in the UK when we seem to waste so much of the water throughout Winter. Early this year (2026), my local town was under water from flooding, six months later and the river is low, and with no rain in site we are potentially looking at a drought, with hose pipe bans. As a nation, our government over the years has done nothing to protect our vital resources, the country has no real technological advances for harvesting rainwater when we get an abundance. There are no incentives for our homes, and instead millions of people are at risk of having no access to fresh water in the coming years.

We often take water for granted because it arrives every time we turn on a tap, but every drop of water from your tap, first fell as rain. Just imagine how much water falls on your roof every year. Sadly, most of the rainwater simply disappears down the drain.

This is why I have decided that we will start to collect rainwater when we eventually have rain again. Rainwater harvesting isn't a new invention. In fact, people have been doing it for centuries. A simple water butt connected to your guttering can collect hundreds, even thousands, of litres of water throughout the year.

That water can then be used for:

• Watering vegetables.

• Filling watering cans.

• Cleaning patios.

• Washing garden tools.

• Watering greenhouses.

• Looking after fruit trees.

Every litre of rainwater you use is one litre that doesn't need to come from treated drinking water. Furthermore, there are even ways to filter the water, so you can drink it. I'll write a blog about this separately.

Think Long-Term

One thing that concerns me is how quickly our society is changing. We're embracing artificial intelligence, electrification and digital infrastructure at incredible speed. Perhaps it will all work perfectly, but perhaps it won't. Preparing your home isn't about fear, it's about the wisdom you can bring into your own family to help secure your future. Wars in the future will be about vital resources, so it's a good idea to consider how you can protect yourself. And, if you have children at home with you, for the next 5-10 years, then show them how to do this yourself, and show them why you are collecting rainwater. Children are amazing and you want to prepare them too, explaining challenging times are coming and we are doing this in case we need water in the future.

By collecting your own rain water, you are putting power in your hands to have your own resources, this is also why you should consider solar on your roof too, but perhaps that's another blog.

Preparing, Not Panicking

As a Christian, I believe we are living in a period of history that the Bible describes as the last days. Whether that proves to be years or generations from now, I cannot say, but it has changed the way I think about the future. Rather than placing my hope in ever-advancing technology, I believe wisdom lies in becoming more resilient, more self-sufficient and better prepared to care for our families. Artificial intelligence is advancing at a remarkable pace, and governments and businesses are investing billions of pounds into the technology. Whether we welcome it or not, the infrastructure needed to support it is already being built across the country.

My concern isn't simply about artificial intelligence itself. It's about the increasing demand it places on the very resources that sustain human life. Fresh water and reliable electricity are not luxuries; they are essential. As more data centres are built, I believe every family should start thinking about how they can become less dependent on increasingly stretched systems. That's one of the reasons I've started collecting rainwater.