400,000 people drink this water. A data center is accused of polluting it.
The Flint Riverkeeper, an environmental group, has filed a 60-day intent-to-sue notice against an unnamed data center in Fayetteville, Georgia. The group alleges that contaminated runoff from the facility is polluting the Flint River, a drinking water source for 400,000 people, in violation of the Clean Water Act. This action stems from perceived inadequate regulation of data centers, as recent state legislation aimed at restrictions failed to pass.
The Flint Riverkeeper Office, an environmental nonprofit based in Dougherty County, Georgia, has formally issued a 60-day notice of intent to sue an unnamed data center located in Fayetteville, Georgia. The organization claims that this facility, identified as the largest data center currently operating in the state, is repeatedly discharging contaminated and muddy water into a nearby creek that ultimately flows into the Flint River. This alleged pollution is cited as a violation of the federal Clean Water Act.
Gordon Rodgers, director of the Flint Riverkeeper Office, highlighted the critical role of the Flint River, which supplies drinking water to over 400,000 residents in metro Atlanta communities downstream, including Clayton, Coweta, Spalding, and Fayette counties. Rodgers explained that excessive sediment can severely harm aquatic life, disrupting the food web and the river's natural filtration systems. The intent-to-sue notice, also supported by local homeowners, attributes the violations to insufficient controls at the data center, such as failing retaining walls and active pumping, and asserts that these issues have persisted despite prior notifications to the company.
Both Rodgers and fellow Riverkeeper Fletcher Sams expressed concerns about the perceived regulatory void surrounding data centers. They argued that local officials, such as city council members and county commissioners, often lack the necessary expertise to adequately oversee projects with water and power demands comparable to those of small to large cities. In Georgia, a state rapidly expanding as a data center hub with 34 operating sites and 124 planned, four pieces of state legislation addressing data centers were introduced last year. However, all these proposals, including one that sought a construction moratorium until 2027, ultimately failed to pass. The company involved in the Fayetteville allegations did not respond to requests for comment.