Rural Georgia woman says Meta’s data center contaminated her well water

A rural Georgia resident has accused Meta‘s AI data center of contaminating her well water with sediment, claiming the facility’s construction disrupted her private water supply located roughly 1,200 feet from the site. The allegation highlights growing concerns about how the massive infrastructure buildout needed to support power-hungry AI models is creating environmental disruptions across communities nationwide.

What you should know: Beverly Morris, a retiree living near Meta’s data center, says she’s now afraid to drink her tap water due to sediment buildup she believes stems from the facility’s construction.

• “I’m afraid to drink the water, but I still cook with it, and brush my teeth with it,” Morris told the BBC. “Am I worried about it? Yes.”
• Meta has denied the allegations, stating that “being a good neighbour is a priority” and commissioning a groundwater study that found the data center did “not adversely affect groundwater conditions in the area.”

The big picture: The incident underscores the mounting environmental costs of AI infrastructure as tech giants pour tens of billions into building thousands of data centers worldwide.

• Companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta are rapidly expanding their data center footprints to support increasingly sophisticated AI models that require exponentially more energy.
• Researchers estimate global AI demand could consume up to 1.7 trillion gallons of water annually by 2027—more than four times Denmark’s total water withdrawal.

Why this matters: The AI industry’s environmental impact extends far beyond energy consumption, potentially affecting local water systems and communities.

• Estimates for water usage per AI query vary dramatically, ranging from as much as a 16-ounce bottle to “roughly one-fifteenth of a teaspoon,” according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.
• Activists point to potentially dangerous sediment runoff from construction that could contaminate water systems, as may be happening with Morris’ well.
• After initially emphasizing sustainability efforts earlier this decade, the AI boom has shifted industry conversations away from environmental concerns.

What comes next: As AI models become more sophisticated, researchers have found they use exponentially more energy, suggesting current environmental impacts may be just the beginning.