Grady County Oklahoma Data Center Faces Water Rejection
Aligned Data Centers' proposed 800-acre data center in Grady County, Oklahoma, is stalled after Rural Water District 2 rejected its request for water and wastewater service due to capacity issues. This project faces significant local opposition and comes amid a broader discussion in Oklahoma about regulating data center development, including a proposed statewide moratorium. County officials state they lack the legal authority to intervene.
Aligned Data Centers is facing significant obstacles for its proposed 800-acre data center project in Grady County, Oklahoma, despite having already purchased the land for $17.02 million. The project, located north of Amber and near Tuttle and Minco, is currently in early planning stages and has not broken ground.
A major setback occurred when Grady County Rural Water District 2 rejected Aligned's request for 80,000 gallons of water and 22,000 gallons of daily wastewater capacity. The district stated its existing infrastructure, including lagoon systems and water supplies, cannot accommodate a facility of that scale, noting the wastewater request alone exceeded its total daily capacity. This rejection comes after a summer of severe heatwaves and water restrictions in several Grady County towns, exacerbating local concerns about water scarcity.
Local residents voiced strong opposition at a public meeting in Chickasha on September 8. Despite the vocal opposition, Grady County leaders confirmed they lack the legal authority to pause the project on unzoned county land. State Senator Kendal Sacchieri has since introduced Senate Bill 1488, proposing a statewide moratorium on new data center construction through November 2029 to allow the Oklahoma Corporation Commission to study the impacts on grid, water, and property values. For now, the Aligned Data Centers project remains stalled.