AI data center project secretly sucked 29 million gallons of water over 15 months before detected by residents complaining about low water pressure — officials refuse to fine builders of massive 6.2 million-square-foot facility over unauthorized water use
www.tomshardware.com
County's soft touch is attributed to the data center being 'our largest customer, and we have to be partners.'
  • deliriousdreams@fedia.io
    2·
    3 hours ago

    This is what happens on construction projects where the municipality isn’t properly enforcing or securing the construction site’s access to water, and it happens a lot. Municipalities should be held accountable by their constituency for the failure to secure access and bill construction companies regardless of what kind of construction is being done. They meter the water of regular users, industrial use should also be metered and paid for.

    Don’t at me with BS about how AI companies shouldn’t be building data centers. I know. I agree. That is a separate issue from the failure of the municipality here.

    a data center campus 20 miles south of Atlanta had been drawing roughly 29 million gallons through two water connections the county didn’t know existed, Politico reported Saturday.

    Tigert told Politico that her department has a single employee handling both inspections and plan reviews, saying, “… we don’t have enough staff. We can’t keep staff.”

    • very_well_lost@lemmy.worldEnglish
      2·
      13 minutes ago

      A bit of quick research tells me that 29 million gallons of water costs about $150,000… so when can we expect the construction company to be charged with grand larceny?

      • deliriousdreams@fedia.io
        1·
        9 minutes ago

        Nothing in the article about them even being back-charged for the water they used. Literally just some nonsense about not fining them.

        I don’t think that grand larceny charge is coming. Just a hunch.