ATLANTA — The rapid expansion of data centers across metro Atlanta is raising new concerns among water providers and local leaders about the long-term strain on the region’s water supply.
Cole Blackwell, General Manager of the Cobb County–Marietta Water Authority, says conserving water is becoming increasingly critical as more facilities come online.
“We need to be able to conserve our most precious resource, that being water,” Blackwell said.
Data centers require large amounts of water to stay cool, and Blackwell says the demand can vary widely.
“Some data centers may use over one million gallons of water per day,” Blackwell said. “I’ve heard of some using up to three million gallons per day. We have a finite source of water here in metro Atlanta.”
With dozens of data centers already operating in Georgia and many more planned, the issue has drawn the attention of state lawmakers. A new bipartisan bill under the Gold Dome would require data center companies to publicly disclose the energy and water usage demands of individual facilities during the approval process.
Blackwell warns the growing demand could become a serious problem in the coming years if new regulations are not enforced. He pointed to Georgia’s past water shortages as a reminder of how limited the region’s supply can be.
“I think we forget about that big drought in 2007, where folks were praying on the steps of the Capitol because Lake Lanier was quickly going dry,” Blackwell said.
At the local level, DeKalb County commissioners are expected to continue discussions Tuesday on enhanced regulations for new data centers, with a possible vote following the county’s decision last month to extend a moratorium on new applications after hearing concerns from residents during a heated December meeting.
Commissioners are considering standards for data centers and zoning districts and could also vote on spending up to $15,000 to fund a study examining potential health and environmental impacts on local communities.
DeKalb County Commissioner Ted Terry says the moratorium is intended to give leaders time to establish clearer rules.
“The reason why we’re doing this moratorium is because we don’t have a comprehensive data center ordinance,” Terry said. “It’s not a defined code, so we have to create the guardrails to do that.”
Under a draft version of the proposed regulations, developers would be required to submit information on noise generated by a data center, along with detailed plans outlining water and energy consumption.
Concerns about data centers are spreading across metro Atlanta. The City of Roswell has paused new applications for the facilities, and several other counties, including Coweta County, have adopted similar regulations.
While supporters point to added revenue, jobs, and tax dollars for local governments, opponents worry the energy and water required to operate data centers come at too high a cost.
“We’re either going to use more water or we’re going to use more power,” Blackwell said.
Blackwell says even a single facility can use hundreds of thousands of gallons of water each day, adding additional strain to Lake Lanier and the Chattahoochee River.
As demand for data centers continues to grow, state and local leaders are weighing how to balance economic development with the sustainability of Georgia’s limited water resources.
WSB Radio’s Jonathan O’Brien contributed to this story.
