Data centers being blamed for water issues
A New York congresswoman has brought Morgan County, Georgia's brown drinking water issues into the national spotlight, directly blaming a large data center for the problem. Local officials and residents are debating the cause, with some pointing to prior land disturbance by an auto plant while acknowledging the data center's significant water usage.
Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) brought Morgan County, Georgia's drinking water issues into the national spotlight by displaying a beaker of brown water she claimed originated from the county's system. She attributed the problem to a large data center located in an industrial park near the county line, citing extensive land disturbance and soil compaction.
However, Morgan County officials and some residents offered a different perspective. They noted that most drinking water outside city limits comes from individual wells, and water quality issues have been reported for nearly four years. These earlier complaints often coincided with land clearing activities by Rivian for an auto assembly plant, which residents claimed fouled their water with mud after rainfall. County officials stated that while they had no complaints before Rivian's activities, issues began afterward, suggesting a connection to the 7 million cubic yards of dirt moved in the groundwater recharge area.
Morgan County activist Jean DeFort supported the congresswoman's claim of fouled water, believing something happened to nearby land affecting the wells. Despite the ongoing debate, county officials expressed willingness to investigate current issues and ensure accurate information is shared, while acknowledging that Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez raised a legitimate concern about the significant water consumption by data centers.