US Trends

what data center uses 30 million gallons of water without paying for it

Quick Answer

The data center that used about 30 million gallons of water without initially paying for it is a Quality Technology Services (QTS) campus in Fayette County, Georgia , nicknamed “Project Excalibur”.

Residents in nearby neighborhoods first noticed the problem when their water pressure dropped during a drought, which led the local utility to investigate and discover two unmonitored water connections feeding the facility.

What Happened?

The 30 Million Gallon Discovery

  • In early 2025, residents of the Annelise Park community in Fayetteville, Georgia, began experiencing unusually low water pressure.
  • When Fayette County Water investigated, it found that the QTS data center campus had two large industrial water connections :
    • One installed without the utility’s knowledge.
    • One that was not tied to QTS’s account, so it was not being billed.

By the time officials caught the issue, the facility had drawn nearly 30 million gallons (about 113 million liters) of water, and QTS had not paid for it.

How Long Did It Go Unnoticed?

  • The unmonitored period is disputed:
    • QTS told Politico the timeframe was 9 to 15 months.
* The county water system director said it was likely closer to **4 months**.

Regardless of the exact duration, the water use was far above the peak limit QTS had agreed to during the facility’s planning phase.

The Cost and Aftermath

  • A May 15, 2025 letter from Fayette County Water to QTS showed the company was retroactively billed about $147,000–$150,000 for the water.
  • QTS paid the bill, but did not face fines even though it exceeded its approved peak usage limits during a drought.

Why This Case Went Viral

A Symbol of Data Center Water Use

This incident became a trending topic and forum discussion point because it highlighted several broader issues:

  • AI data centers are expected to consume massive amounts of water for cooling, especially in evaporative systems.
  • Many U.S. jurisdictions do not require separate water-use reporting for data centers; they’re often treated like ordinary commercial buildings.
  • In some areas, residents are told to conserve water during droughts while large data centers quietly use millions of gallons.

Political and Community Fallout

  • Local officials and residents have criticized the lack of oversight and the rush to approve huge data center projects without upgrading water infrastructure.
  • In Georgia, which now has more than 200 data center facilities , water use by these sites is becoming a political flashpoint.

What QTS Says

QTS has defended itself strongly:

  • The company says any suggestion of improper water use is “categorically false”.
  • It claims the high water use was due to temporary construction activities : concrete work, dust control, and site preparation.
  • QTS also states its operational data centers use a “closed-loop” cooling system that continually circulates the same water and does not consume water for cooling, according to the company.

Why This Matters for You

Even if you’re not in Fayette County, this case is relevant because:

  • It shows how data centers can become the largest water users in a county, overshadowing residential use.
  • It highlights the need for better metering, reporting, and enforcement around data center water use—issues that are now being discussed in other states approving similar projects.

TL;DR

  • Who: Quality Technology Services (QTS) data center campus (“Project Excalibur”) in Fayette County, Georgia.
  • What: Consumed ~30 million gallons of water for 4–15 months without being billed.
  • How discovered: Residents reported low water pressure ; the utility found two unmonitored connections.
  • Result: QTS was retroactively billed ~$150,000 , paid it, but faced no fines despite exceeding peak usage limits.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.