Georgians outraged after data center drains 30M gallons of water amid drought conditions: report

Residents in Annelise Park, a neighborhood in Fayetteville, Georgia, were outraged to discover that a new data center had consumed 30 million gallons of water without payment, causing weak water pressure in the midst of a drought. The data center, owned by Quality Technology Services, drained the water without being charged initially, leading to a bill of nearly $150,000. Despite the developer paying the charges retroactively, tensions rose as residents were urged to conserve water while the data center continued to use large amounts.

Local officials defended the project, emphasizing the substantial property tax revenue it would generate. However, this incident is part of a pattern where communities push back against data center projects due to environmental concerns, increased utility bills, water supply depletion, and other issues. Similar resistance has been seen in other locations such as Coweta County, Utah, and Missouri, where residents have protested against data center developments.

The data center in Fayetteville claims to have a closed-loop cooling system that minimizes water usage, but residents remain skeptical. The ongoing construction means water usage could remain high for the next few years. Despite the county utility not imposing fines on the developer for the initial oversight, the decision has been defended as a way to maintain a good relationship with the largest customer.

Vanessa Tigert, director of the Fayette County water system, cited staffing issues and a transition to a new system as reasons for the oversight. While residents express frustration over the preferential treatment given to the data center, the water system maintains that they must prioritize customer service in dealing with their largest client.