Residents in a Georgia suburb are understandably upset after discovering that a large data center consumed 30 million gallons of water without paying for it, which has caused water pressure issues during an ongoing drought.
People living in Fayetteville’s Annelily’s Park, a community of around 20,000, reported notably low water pressure last year, according to various reports.
A county investigation revealed that a nearby data center, spanning 6.6 million square feet and developed by Quality Technology Services, owned by Blackstone, was the culprit.
A letter from the Fayette County Water System informed QTS that it had two large-scale water connections. However, one was installed without notifying local utilities, and the other wasn’t linked to QTS’s billing account.
The letter indicated that QTS owes nearly $150,000 for draining over 29 million gallons of water—enough to fill 44 Olympic-sized swimming pools, or about three times what is needed to irrigate all of the country’s lawns daily.
The developer claimed it paid all necessary fees as soon as the county informed them. The county cited procedural issues for the delay in billing, assuring that the data center’s water meters are now fully integrated and monitored.
As drought conditions worsen and a state of emergency is declared, local officials have asked residents to conserve water by reducing lawn watering. This has only fueled tensions, especially after attorney James Clifton, who is running for the Fayette County Commission, shared the 2025 letter on Facebook, provoking anger among locals.
Clifton pointed out that, despite the drought, sprinklers continued to run at the QTS location, which he found particularly frustrating since residents were told to cut back on their water usage.
He noted, “We were told to conserve while QTS is the top water consumer in the county most months.”
While some officials defend the project, emphasizing its potential to bring in tens of millions in property taxes, this incident reflects broader tensions against data centers and their environmental impacts, rising utility bills, and local resource depletion.
In another part of Georgia, residents are opposing a proposed 800-acre data center called “Project Sail.”
Recently, a frustrated crowd in Utah rallied against a major data center project, criticizing the approval process that appeared rushed and dismissive of local input.
Back in Fayetteville, QTS stated they intend to utilize a “closed-loop” cooling system to reduce water use, claiming last year’s high consumption was due to construction needs. Once fully operational, the facility would reportedly need only enough water for bathroom and kitchen use—equating to what about four households would consume per month.
However, some residents worry that the increasing demand for water might continue as the project develops over the next few years.
Public sentiment has turned against data center developers, particularly with the lack of penalties for issues related to water billing. Clifton commented on the situation, expressing his frustration about the perceived disregard for local residents’ needs.
Gregory Pearce from the UCLA Water Resources Group noted it was unusual for a county not to enforce fines, suggesting it might be a strategic business decision to maintain a positive relationship with a major customer.
Fayette County Water System’s Director, Vanessa Tygart, defended their action by stating that QTS is a key customer, and thus they must foster a cooperative relationship. She explained that the oversight in the billing process was mainly due to staffing shortages and transitions to a new system.
Tygart added that, like many water systems, they are having difficulties retaining staff, which complicates oversight of operations.
