Meta data center impacts local water supply in Newton County

After Meta broke ground on a $750 million data center in Newton County, Georgia, nearby residents experienced severe water problems that transformed their daily lives. Construction began in 2018, and by completion last year, multiple households reported well water failures, sediment buildup, and deteriorating water quality, according to a New York Times investigation published July 14, 2025.

Beverly and Jeff Morris discovered their home's water taps running dry within months of Meta's construction activities starting on their 1,000-foot-distant property. The couple's house relies on well water, and after construction began, their dishwasher, ice maker, washing machine and toilet all stopped functioning properly, according to Beverly Morris, now 71.

Water pressure slowed to a trickle within a year. Eventually, nothing emerged from bathroom and kitchen taps. Jeff Morris, 67, traced the problems to sediment accumulation in their water supply, which he suspected resulted from Meta's construction affecting groundwater and their well system.

The couple replaced most appliances in 2019, then again in 2021 and 2024. Residue now accumulates at the bottom of their backyard pool, while taps in one bathroom remain non-functional. The couple estimates spending $5,000 addressing water issues and cannot afford the $25,000 well replacement cost.

Three neighbors experienced similar well water problems since data center construction. Chris Wilson, living three doors away, reported water pressure issues within months of construction beginning. He now replaces water filters monthly instead of yearly to maintain functioning taps. Sometimes the water appears "so brown, you'd think it came from a creek," Wilson said to The New York Times.

Regional water shortage threatens 120,000 residents

Newton County faces broader water challenges beyond individual household problems. The county maintains a population of approximately 120,000 people and sits one-and-a-half hours east of Atlanta. Local wells have sustained damage, municipal water costs have increased substantially, and the county water commission confronts potential resource shortages.

Newton County progresses toward water deficit status by 2030, according to a report published last year cited in the New York Times investigation. The local water authority must upgrade facilities or residents could face water rationing requirements. Water rates will increase 33 percent over the next two years, significantly exceeding typical 2 percent annual increases, said Blair Northen, mayor of Mansfield.

Meta's facility uses approximately 10 percent of the county's total daily water consumption, according to Mike Hopkins, executive director of the Newton County Water and Sewerage Authority. The water authority maintains positive relationships with Meta, but new data center companies request more resources than available supplies can accommodate.

"What the data centers don't understand is that they're taking up the community wealth," Hopkins explained. "We just don't have the water."

Artificial intelligence drives massive water consumption

Meta's data center infrastructure investment directly connects to artificial intelligence development requirements. Data centers supporting AI development consume enormous quantities of cold water pumped through building pipes to cool computers performing calculations and maintaining internet services.

A data center like Meta's Newton County facility typically consumes around 500,000 gallons of water daily. New data centers designed for training more powerful AI systems require millions of gallons daily, according to water permit applications reviewed by The New York Times investigation.

Recent analysis of data center environmental impact reveals that two-thirds of data centers constructed for AI development locate in water-scarce areas. These facilities require fresh water for cooling because other water types would corrode equipment. Most data centers utilize public drinking water infrastructure already established in communities.

Data center companies often demand maximum available water resources, leveraging tax revenue payments as negotiating leverage, said Newsha Ajami, a hydrologist and director of urban water policy at Stanford University. Some projects require "dewatering" processes, where groundwater gets pumped from surrounding areas during construction preparation.

Water represents a particularly challenging resource compared to electricity. Municipalities can add energy capacity through solar farms, wind turbines, or reopening coal and nuclear power plants. However, Newton County's water originates from a nearby reservoir replenished only through rainwater.

Companies prioritize facilities in locations with cheap power over water availability, often selecting drought-stricken areas because electricity costs exceed water expenses for data center operations.

State incentives accelerate data center development

Georgia's data center growth stems from strategic economic policies implemented after the 2008 financial crisis disrupted residential development. Local officials pursued large industrial projects to replace lost revenue streams. Data centers, capable of generating millions in tax revenue, fulfilled this requirement.

Meta's project marked Georgia's first major data center arrival in 2018. Governor Brian Kemp celebrated with Facebook-branded shovels at the State Capitol. New tax incentives and affordable industrial power subsequently established Georgia among the nation's preferred data center locations.

Recent months brought nine companies applying to construct data centers in Newton County, with some requesting up to six million gallons daily—exceeding the county's entire daily consumption. Applicants include companies as large as Amazon, while others utilize aliases concealing their identities.

The county's water authority struggles accommodating projects and associated tax revenue while preserving adequate resident water supplies. Their solution involves upgrading recycling facilities, which Hopkins described as a "race against the clock" costing over $250 million.

Data center companies rarely disclose water consumption figures, leaving policymakers without sufficient regulatory information, said Chris Manganiello, water policy director of Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, an environmental nonprofit in Georgia.

Manganiello discovered a method accessing some data through mandatory regional development studies required for large sites needing land rezoning. His first data review revealed one company requesting nine million gallons daily, equivalent to 30,000 household consumption. "It is a tremendous amount," he stated.

Legislative efforts face gubernatorial resistance

Georgia's water strain prompted legislative attempts slowing development through bills repealing tax incentives. Governor Kemp vetoed these efforts, stating in a release that such bills would damage economic development.

Data center expansion patterns mirror broader industry practices targeting economically vulnerable communities lacking resources to understand true costs. Similar water troubles affect other data center hot spots including Texas, Arizona, Louisiana, and the United Arab Emirates.

Around Phoenix, homebuilders paused construction due to droughts exacerbated by data center operations. In Colorado, data center water consumption became central to Colorado River water treaty renegotiations.

The marketing industry's growing reliance on AI infrastructure creates direct connections between advertising technology and resource consumption. Meta's infrastructure investment leverages its dominant advertising revenue—$164 billion in 2024—to fund AI development requiring massive water resources.

Corporate response addresses limited liability

Meta commissioned a well study on the Morris property and stated it was "unlikely" that its data center affected local groundwater supplies. After an activist media outlet produced a video highlighting these issues in May, Meta sent a community relations manager for site visits.

The company offered well studies and fixed nighttime lighting reducing glare but accepted no responsibility for water problems. When Morris expressed concerns about cooking with tap water containing sediment, the Meta employee suggested boiling water before use. The company denied this suggestion occurred.

Ben Sheidler, spokesman for the Joint Development Authority managing Meta's industrial park, stated the water issue causes remain unknown. The authority conducted no well water studies before construction determining potential effects, though timing could represent coincidence.

"I wouldn't want to speculate that even the construction had something to do with it," Sheidler explained. "One thousand feet away is a pretty significant distance."

Community impact extends beyond infrastructure

The Morris household faces ongoing challenges with only one functional bathroom shared among family members, including their 48-year-old son Jon, who has Down syndrome. Property sale attempts proved unsuccessful.

"Our realtor told us, 'There's only one party that would ever be interested in buying this land — and that's Facebook,'" Beverly Morris explained.

Home decorations featuring phrases about faith and family reflect the couple's attempts understanding how the data center fits their life plans. Above the kitchen sink, one sign reads: "The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh."

The situation represents broader implications for communities hosting data center development. When Beverly and Jeff Morris purchased their house in 2016, they paid $265,000 for property and its six-acre lot, attracted by dirt roads and oak forest suitable for horseback riding.

"It was supposed to be our forever home," Beverly Morris said.

Meta bulldozed the oak forest in 2019, and well water problems began shortly afterward. The couple borrowed thousands addressing water issues. Jeff Morris delayed retirement as a machine operator at a nearby wood yard.

Their experience illustrates how large-scale AI infrastructure projects affect local communities through resource consumption patterns that extend beyond immediate facility boundaries. The challenges reflect broader tensions between technological advancement requirements and community resource preservation.

Timeline

• 2016: Beverly and Jeff Morris purchase their Newton County home for $265,000
• 2018: Meta breaks ground on $750 million data center in Newton County, Georgia
• 2019: Meta bulldozed oak forest; Morris household water problems begin; couple replaces most appliances
• 2021: Morris family replaces appliances again due to continuing water issues
• 2024: Third round of appliance replacements; Meta facility completed; county report predicts water deficit by 2030
• May 2025: Activist media outlet highlights water issues; Meta sends community relations manager
• July 14, 2025: Meta announces "hundreds of billions" AI infrastructure investment; New York Times publishes investigation revealing Newton County water crisis
• July 16, 2025: New York Times article updated with additional reporting details

Key Terms and Concepts

Data Centers Data centers represent the physical infrastructure backbone powering digital advertising and AI technologies. These facilities house thousands of servers processing advertising auctions, user data analysis, and campaign optimization algorithms. Modern data centers supporting AI development require exponentially more resources than traditional facilities, with implications extending beyond technical operations to environmental sustainability and community impact. The infrastructure decisions made by companies like Meta directly influence digital advertising capabilities and costs across the marketing ecosystem.

Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure AI infrastructure encompasses the computational resources, networking capabilities, and cooling systems necessary for machine learning operations. Marketing applications include automated campaign optimization, predictive audience targeting, and creative generation tools. The massive scale of AI infrastructure investments—measured in hundreds of billions of dollars—reflects the industry's commitment to automation and personalization technologies that reshape how advertisers reach consumers.

Digital Advertising Revenue Digital advertising revenue serves as the financial engine funding AI infrastructure development. Meta's $164 billion annual advertising revenue demonstrates how marketing dollars directly support technological advancement requiring substantial environmental resources. This revenue model creates a feedback loop where advertising performance improvements justify infrastructure investments, while expanded capabilities drive revenue growth through enhanced targeting and automation features.

Campaign Optimization Campaign optimization relies on AI algorithms processing vast datasets to improve advertising performance metrics. These systems require continuous computational power housed in data centers, connecting marketing effectiveness directly to infrastructure resource consumption. Advanced optimization capabilities enable real-time bidding adjustments, audience refinement, and creative testing that demand significant server capacity and cooling requirements.

Infrastructure Investment Infrastructure investment in the marketing context refers to capital expenditures on data centers, servers, and networking equipment supporting advertising technology platforms. These investments enable features like real-time bidding, cross-device tracking, and AI-powered creative tools. The scale of infrastructure spending directly correlates with platform capabilities, affecting everything from campaign delivery speed to targeting precision available to marketers.

Advertising Technology Advertising technology encompasses the software platforms, algorithms, and data processing systems enabling programmatic advertising, audience targeting, and performance measurement. The underlying infrastructure requirements include massive server capacity for real-time auction processing and user data analysis. AdTech platforms depend on data center resources for features like lookalike modeling, attribution analysis, and cross-channel campaign coordination.

Revenue Growth Revenue growth in digital advertising platforms depends on technological capabilities powered by infrastructure investments. Companies invest in AI and data center capacity to support features driving advertiser spend, including automated bidding, dynamic creative optimization, and advanced audience segmentation. The relationship between infrastructure spending and revenue generation creates business justification for resource-intensive technological development.

Marketing Automation Marketing automation encompasses AI-powered tools handling campaign creation, audience targeting, bid management, and performance optimization without manual intervention. These systems require substantial computational resources for processing user behavior data, predicting conversion likelihood, and optimizing creative performance across multiple channels. The infrastructure supporting automation directly impacts campaign effectiveness and operational efficiency for marketing teams.

Performance Metrics Performance metrics in digital advertising include cost per acquisition, return on ad spend, conversion rates, and engagement measurements calculated through real-time data processing. The infrastructure supporting these calculations requires significant server capacity and data transfer capabilities. Advanced metrics like incrementality measurement and cross-device attribution demand sophisticated algorithms running on powerful computing infrastructure.

Economic Development Economic development considerations influence data center location decisions, with communities offering tax incentives to attract technology infrastructure investments. Marketing companies benefit from these arrangements through reduced operational costs, while communities gain employment and tax revenue. However, the environmental costs including water consumption and energy usage create tensions between economic benefits and resource sustainability affecting long-term community development.

Summary

Who: Beverly and Jeff Morris, Newton County residents living 1,000 feet from Meta's data center, along with neighbors Chris Wilson and others experiencing similar water problems. Meta Platforms operates the $750 million facility affecting local groundwater supplies.

What: Severe well water problems including dry taps, sediment buildup, and non-functional appliances affecting multiple households. Meta's data center consumes 500,000 gallons daily, representing 10% of county's total water usage while broader county faces water deficit projections.

When: Problems began in 2018 after Meta construction started, with deteriorating conditions through 2025. Newton County projects water deficit status by 2030 unless infrastructure upgrades occur.

Where: Newton County, Georgia, located one-and-a-half hours east of Atlanta with approximately 120,000 residents. Multiple households within proximity of Meta's data center facility experience water supply disruptions.

Why: Data center cooling requirements consume massive water quantities necessary for AI development infrastructure. Meta's facility represents broader industry patterns of locating water-intensive operations in communities lacking resources to understand long-term impacts, prioritizing cheap electricity over water availability.