Ypsilanti water system considers 12-month moratorium on supplying data centers

The Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution calling for a 12-month moratorium on supplying water for data centers. This decision comes amidst growing opposition to a proposed $1.2-billion high-performance computing facility planned by the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory within the township, which officials estimate could use up to 500,000 gallons of water daily. The resolution specifically urges the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA), which supplies water to Washtenaw and Wayne counties, to complete environmental and water system studies before committing to serve data centers. YCUA Executive Director Luke Blackburn stated the utility would address this request at its April 22 board meeting. Concerns raised include the YCUA wastewater treatment plant's limited capacity, the potential for massive amounts of wastewater, chemical pollution, or warm water discharge, and the financial impact on existing residential, commercial, and industrial customers. Another project, Thor Equities' proposed data center in Augusta Township, also falls within YCUA's service territory. Despite the township's opposition, the University of Michigan, as a public institution, is exempt from local zoning requirements, meaning its project does not require township approval. The university maintained that its facility would create 200 jobs and support public projects in various scientific fields. Township attorney Doug Winters emphasized the necessity of a 'pause button' on data center developments to assess potential impacts, while Supervisor Brenda Stumbo voiced residents' stress and criticized the state of Michigan for tax breaks without due diligence. This latest resolution follows an earlier declaration of opposition to the University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory's data center project anywhere in the township, partly due to concerns about Los Alamos' nuclear weapons research and the facility potentially becoming a 'Tier 1' target. Winters also indicated that further resolutions addressing data center noise and power usage are forthcoming, as Michigan's water, energy, and tax incentives attract developers.