Water issues in Morgan County put in national spotlight
Morgan County, Georgia's well water issues, involving discolored water, gained national attention after a U.S. Congresswoman displayed a sample. Residents and activists blame land disturbance from both a Rivian auto plant and a data center for fouling groundwater. County officials acknowledge past complaints and offer assistance for current concerns.
Morgan County, Georgia's drinking water quality has become a subject of national attention after U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) displayed a beaker of discolored water at the U.S. Capitol, attributing the issue to a large data center in the county. However, local residents clarify that water outside cities like Madison comes from individual wells, not a county system, and similar well water problems have persisted for years.
Residents, including Alan Jenkins, previously complained in 2022 that land clearing by Rivian for an auto assembly plant four years prior had fouled their well water, causing it to turn muddy brown after rainfall. Blake McCormack, chair of the Morgan County Board of Commissioners, acknowledged the legitimacy of these complaints, noting that issues arose after seven million cubic yards of dirt were moved in a groundwater recharge area.
While Ocasio-Cortez specifically blamed the data center, Morgan County activist Jeanne Dufort supports the claim of tainted water, linking it to "a lot of land disturbance, heavy compaction of soils" near the wells. County officials, however, stated that the fresh complaints being referenced are about a data center built four years ago and expressed willingness to investigate any current issues.