A Georgia data center developed by Quality Technology Services used more than 29 million gallons of unaccounted for water through two connections before Fayette County officials discovered the issue, Politico reported.
The issue came to light after residents complained about low water pressure, and the county utility reviewed the data center’s water use.
Fayette County’s water system outlined a $147,474 retroactive charge in a May 15, 2025, letter to QTS. Politico reported that the water use totaled nearly 30 million gallons, equal to 44 Olympic-sized swimming pools. The amount also exceeded the peak limit agreed to during the data center planning process.
The letter did not say how many months the unpaid bill covered. Fayette County water system director Vanessa Tigert said Wednesday that it was likely about four months, while a QTS spokesperson said the timeframe was 9 to 15 months.
QTS paid all retroactive charges after it was notified, a company spokesperson said in an email. The spokesperson said the unmetered water use happened while the county was converting its system to smart meters.
The Fayette County water system confirmed that the data center’s meters are now fully integrated and tracked.
Tigert blamed the issue on a procedural mix-up. She said Fayette County is mostly residential and has few commercial meters, so the utility did not realize the connection point was not working.
The incident became public last week after a county resident obtained the 2025 letter through a public records request and posted it on Facebook. The post prompted criticism from residents concerned about the data center’s water consumption.
Tigert said the utility did not know about the water hookups because the connection process “got mixed up” as the county moved to a cloud-based system while also trying to accommodate an industrial customer.
She also said the utility has limited staff and is operating at capacity. Tigert said one staff member handles inspections and plan review, leaving that employee spread thin.
She said it is possible staff knew about the hookups, but that she had not been able to locate the inspection report. Tigert also said she “may have hit send too soon” when referring to the 2025 letter to QTS.
The utility charged the data center a higher construction rate for the unapproved water use, but did not penalize or fine the company.
Blackstone-owned QTS said its data centers use a closed-loop cooling system that does not consume water for cooling.
The company said last year’s high water use came from temporary construction work, including concrete, dust control, and site preparation.
Once the campus is fully operational, QTS said it should use only a small amount of water for bathrooms and kitchens. However, construction and expansion in Fayetteville may continue for another three to five years.
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