YCUA passes 12-month moratorium on water and sewage services for data centers

On April 22, 2026, the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) unanimously approved Resolution 26-08, enacting a minimum 12-month moratorium on providing water and sewage services to various data center facilities, including hyperscale data centers, mid-sized data centers, artificial intelligence computing facilities, and high-performance computational centers. This decision aligns with a prior 12-month moratorium by the Ypsilanti City Council concerning zoning permits for data centers within city limits, and follows a request from the Ypsilanti Township Board on April 15, 2026. The moratorium imposes a temporary halt on new service connections, capacity reservations, infrastructure commitments, and preliminary approvals for these facilities. YCUA and community members voiced significant concerns, noting that hyperscale data centers can consume up to five million gallons of water daily and generate substantial wastewater. Other issues highlighted in Resolution 26-08 include potential strain on Ypsilanti's infrastructure, the impact of tax incentives, and uncertainties regarding safety and sustainability. During this pause, YCUA will undertake comprehensive studies on critical areas such as water supply and demand capacity, wastewater treatment capabilities, financial implications, infrastructure needs, environmental and sustainability effects, and emergency preparedness. These studies are intended to be transparent, publicly accessible, regularly updated, and reviewed by independent experts. The primary goal of the moratorium is to safeguard long-term water and sewer sustainability, prevent infrastructure overload, and ensure that any future approvals are based on thorough scientific research. This measure comes amid ongoing community backlash against a supercomputing facility proposed for Ypsilanti Township by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory, with residents like Tim Bruno from Saline urging Ypsilanti to prevent similar developments.