Data center guzzled 30 million gallons of water and nobody noticed for months
Can AI save us from the AI industry’s endless thirst for water? Outlook not so good.
A curious case in Georgia serves as a warning for many parts of the US hastily approving data center developments without first updating their water systems to better monitor for severe upticks in usage.
On Friday, Politico reported that one of the country's biggest data center developments had guzzled nearly 30 million gallons of water without paying for it. Even worse, the water grab came at a time when nearby drought-stricken residents were warned to restrict their personal water consumption and some reported sudden decreases in water pressure.
An investigation conducted by utility officials in Georgia's Fayette County found that the Quality Technology Services (QTD) facility had two industrial-scale water hookups that weren't being monitored. "One water connection had been installed without the utility’s knowledge, and the other was not linked to the company’s account and therefore wasn’t being billed," Politico reported.