Summary
A retired woman in Georgia, Beverly Morris, is facing water issues she believes are caused by a nearby data center built by Meta, the company that owns Facebook. While Meta denies its data center affects groundwater, the increasing number of data centers raises concerns about water usage, as they require significant amounts to keep servers cool.
Key Facts
- Beverly Morris lives near a data center in Mansfield, Georgia, owned by Meta.
- Morris blames the data center for problems with her well water, including sediment buildup.
- Meta conducted a groundwater study, stating their operations don't affect local water conditions.
- The US, including Georgia, is seeing growth in data centers, driven by increased online activity and needs for AI tools.
- Data centers use large amounts of water to cool servers; one facility can use millions of gallons daily.
- In Georgia, data centers are attractive due to the humid climate aiding cooling processes.
- Local activism is increasing, with some data center projects delayed or stopped.
- A study predicts AI-driven data centers worldwide may use 1.7 trillion gallons of water by 2027.
