Georgia data center used 30M gallons of water undetected

A data center in Fayette County, Georgia, consumed nearly 30 million gallons of water without being billed, as reported by Politico. The Quality Technology Services (QTS) facility had two unmonitored industrial-scale water hookups—one installed without the utility's knowledge and another not linked to the company's account. The water usage occurred while nearby drought-stricken residents faced restrictions and reported low water pressure. Utility officials discovered the issue during an investigation. QTS later paid about $150,000 for the water, but the county declined to fine the company for exceeding peak limits. Fayette County's water system director, Vanessa Tigert, said the county partly blamed itself and wanted to maintain a partnership with QTS, its largest customer. The oversight was attributed to the county's transition from outdated water meters to a smart cloud-based system, combined with understaffing—only one worker was available to inspect meters.