Residents were told to stop watering lawns while massive Georgia data center quietly drained millions of gallons unnoticed | Daily Reports Online
- Fayette County residents faced water restrictions while unmetered corporate consumption continued for several unnoticed months
- County officials discovered hidden data center connections only after pressure complaints intensified locally
- QTS consumed millions of gallons before authorities acknowledged unauthorized water system access
The recent moderate to severe drought in the US state of Georgia had a particular strain on Fayette County water resources, leading local officials to impose conservation measures on households.
However homeowners in a nearby subdivision reported unusually low pressure, prompting urgent complaints to authorities, who initially focused on directives to halt lawn watering without disclosing the underlying cause.
But the county soon discovered that a massive data center campus was the real source of the problem, as the Quality Technology Services (QTS) facility, known as Project Excalibur, had been drawing roughly 29 million gallons of water through two connections that the county did not even know existed.
Unauthorized water use went unnoticed for months
County water system director Vanessa Tigert blamed a procedural error during the transition to a cloud-based metering system.
Her department apparently has only one employee handling both inspections and plan reviews, and she admitted that they cannot keep staff.
The county and QTS disagreed on how long the water went unmetered, with Tigert estimating four months and QTS saying 9 to 15 months.
A resident obtained the utility’s May 2025 letter through a public records request, and the truth finally came to light – namely, that the county had known about QTS’s unmetered connections for months without taking any enforcement action.
Despite the situation, no financial penalties were issued, and when asked about the decision, Tigert told Politico, “They’re our largest customer, and we have to be partners.”
Fayette County opted for customer service over enforcement, calling the relationship a partnership rather than a regulatory obligation.
The QTS campus spans 6.2 million square feet across 13 buildings, with plans for up to 16 structures at full buildout.
The city expects the project to generate $150 million to $200 million annually in property tax revenue.
QTS denies using the water for cooling
According to QTS, the 29 million gallons were consumed during temporary construction activities, including concrete work, dust control, and site preparation.
It uses a closed-loop cooling system for its operational data centers that recirculates water rather than drawing from the municipal supply.
Once fully operational, QTS said its facilities would only require water for domestic needs like bathrooms and kitchens.
QTS owed $147,474 in retroactive charges for the unmetered consumption, but the county refused to fine the company.
The residents who were told to stop watering their lawns now know exactly where their water went.
Though there were no fines issued, the company paid its back bill and the county called the matter settled.
Such conclusions expose the vulnerabilities in utility oversight during resource crunches, potentially eroding public trust when large users evade standard accountability.
If QTS were not a major property tax contributor, the county’s response would likely have included financial penalties rather than a waived fine and a partnership excuse, with the incident revealing how large corporate interests can effectively write their own rules when local governments depend on their revenue.
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