Georgia is reportedly facing challenges in meeting the increasing water demands from AI data centers. Atlanta planners are urging these operators to consider community needs and cut back on water usage, although actual consumption levels differ significantly among various facilities.
“Determining the water demand of data centers isn’t straightforward,” stated Celine Benoit, a principal planner for the Atlanta Regional Commission and North Georgia Metropolitan Water Planning District.
Benoit addressed attendees at a conference hosted by the American Water Works Association on Monday, mentioning that Georgia residents often have little knowledge of AI data centers and tend to oppose them, primarily due to concerns about their water and energy usage.
Georgia, which is vulnerable to drought, has become one of the fastest-growing regions for data centers in the U.S. The Atlanta area ranks as the second-largest data center market in the country regarding power consumption.
Benoit highlighted that a typical AI data center could need anywhere from 5,000 gallons to 9 million gallons of water each day, depending on various factors, including cooling systems.
Local power companies in Georgia are resisting the large water usage demands from data center developers, stating that they lack the necessary supply to meet such needs amid persistent drought conditions, she noted.
Previously reported issues revealed that a data center in Georgia consumed 30 million gallons of water without making any payments.
This issue arose when residents of Anneli’s Park, an upscale neighborhood in Fayetteville, experienced notably low water pressure. Fayette County Public Works looked into the complaints and discovered two industrial water connections servicing a data center campus about 20 miles from downtown Atlanta. One was unauthorized, and the other wasn’t linked to a billing account.
The developer, Quality Technology Services, used roughly 30 million gallons—equivalent to 44 Olympic-sized swimming pools—far surpassing permitted usage limits during the approval process. The Fayette County Water System provided a detailed letter to QTS on May 15, 2025, requesting a retroactive payment of $147,474.
Opponents of AI data centers have successfully halted or delayed a significant number of projects, amounting to almost $130 billion this year, according to a recent analysis.
This month, country musician Brad Paisley urged the public to prevent construction on a proposed AI data center located just 50 meters from the Nashville Zoo, describing it as an “absolute nightmare scenario” and labeling it a “huge monster.”
The aggressive expansion of Silicon Valley into Central America for AI data centers has led to unexpected repercussions for local communities and is putting immense pressure on state and local authorities.
