Observed Signal · May 13, 2026 · Policy Update · Source: t3n · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Negative
Georgia Data Center Drew 114M Liters Unpaid
A large data-centre campus in Fayetteville, Georgia — operated by Quality Technology Services (QTS) — secretly consumed about 30 million gallons (~114 million liters) of water without being billed, a Fayette County water-utility letter dated May 2025 disclosed. The utility applied a roughly $150,000 retroactive charge, which QTS paid, but no fine was imposed. The unbilled consumption occurred during the county’s rollout of smart meters; the utility and QTS give differing estimates for the duration (four months vs. nine to 15 months). The Fayetteville campus covers about 250 hectares with 16 planned buildings and is partially operational. Local officials and residents have criticised the incident amid drought conditions in Georgia; the city recently voted to ban new data-centre construction.
Data-centre resource use and local regulatory backlash affect infrastructure site selection, community relations, and operational compliance for large cloud/data facilities.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- A Fayetteville, Georgia data-centre campus consumed ~30 million gallons (~114 million liters) of water without being billed.
- Details were disclosed in a letter from the Fayette County water utility to developer Quality Technology Services (QTS) dated May 2025.
- The utility assessed nearly $150,000 in retroactive fees; QTS paid the outstanding charges, and no fine or additional penalty was imposed.
- The unbilled usage occurred while the county was switching to smart water meters; the utility estimated four months, QTS estimated nine to 15 months.
- The Fayetteville campus spans about 250 hectares with 16 planned buildings and is partially in operation; the city recently moved to ban new data-centre construction.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
OpenAI announces Project Camellia data center in Georgia
OpenAI is planning Project Camellia, a long-term privately funded data center development in Effingham County, Georgia. OpenAI has contracted with Georgia Power Company for 3.2 gigawatts of power to be delivered in phases between 2028 and 2032, and says electricity rates for residents will not increase because of the project. The company commits $80 million in community benefits over the project’s life and up to $71 million in Codex credits for eligible Georgia students. The facility will use a closed-loop water system to minimize water use, aims to create construction and permanent jobs while prioritizing local contractors, and will undergo an annual independent public audit to verify commitments.
OpenAI Plans $750B Infrastructure Spend Through 2030
OpenAI announced it will spend $750 billion on infrastructure through 2030, about 25% more than an earlier estimate. The company’s first major project under the plan is a $20 billion data center campus in Effingham County, Georgia — Project Camellia — covering 1,400 acres and expected to draw at least 3.2 gigawatts from Georgia Power with capacity available between 2028 and 2032. OpenAI will pay full infrastructure and electric-service costs and received a 50% property tax abatement for 15 years from Effingham County. Regulatory filings show Georgia Power plans nearly 9,885 MW of additional capacity, mostly from natural gas (about 5.8 GW), and OpenAI’s deal represents roughly one-third of that increment. OpenAI recently hired Brett Mayo to lead data center construction; environmental and permitting controversies around fast-built AI data centers are noted.
Recycled Wastewater Can Cool AI Data Centers
A viral Liquid Death marketing campaign with Jason Kelce joked about using human urine to cool AI data centers, but experts say the underlying idea—using recycled wastewater for data-center cooling—is real and increasingly adopted. Engineers and water-reuse advocates describe technologies like membrane bioreactors, reverse osmosis and evaporative cooling that allow treated wastewater to substitute for potable water in industrial cooling. Local infrastructure limits adoption; Loudoun County (VA) data centers used about 200 million gallons of recycled water per day in 2025 (43% of local data-center usage), with the remainder from potable supplies. Industry actors including Meta are investing in wastewater infrastructure, and trade groups are pushing for tax credits to accelerate reuse projects.
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