Ypsilanti utility OKs 12-month ban on supplying water for data centers

The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) in Michigan has enacted a 12-month moratorium on supplying water to data centers, responding to a request from Ypsilanti Township. Approved by the YCUA Board of Commissioners, this ban aims to facilitate environmental and water system studies amidst concerns over the significant water demands of data centers and the utility's limited capacity. The moratorium impacts multiple communities within Washtenaw and Wayne counties that are served by YCUA. Two major data center projects are directly affected: a planned $1.2-billion high-performance computing facility by the University of Michigan (U of M) in Ypsilanti Township, and a proposed $1-billion data center by Thor Equities in Augusta Township. The U of M project, which could use up to 500,000 gallons of water daily and is associated with Los Alamos National Laboratory for nuclear weapons research, is exempt from local zoning requirements. Thor Equities' project is projected to consume 1 million gallons of water daily. Neither U of M nor Thor Equities provided comment on the moratorium. Local opposition has been substantial, with the Ypsilanti Township Board previously advocating for the relocation of U of M's project due to environmental justice issues and its proximity to the Huron River. Residents and Ypsilanti City Councilmember MeChelle King voiced support for the moratorium, citing pollution exposure in areas like the West Willow neighborhood. Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo emphasized that two large data centers could exhaust the utility's capacity, hindering future residential and business development. The YCUA's executive director acknowledged the necessity of an updated wastewater master plan, as the current one dates to 2018. Separately, the Augusta Township board had approved rezoning land for Thor Equities' data center despite strong community opposition.