Alabama Water Crisis Looms As Massive Data Center Demands Outstrip Local Infrastructure

Tension runs high in Alabama as a proposed data center threatens to become the state’s largest water consumer. The massive facility—spanning 700 acres with 18 buildings of 250,000 square feet each—would place unprecedented demands on local water supplies.

And here’s the twist: Alabama has no regulated water withdrawal system to manage the impact. Zero oversight. What could possibly go wrong?

The state’s water infrastructure wasn’t built for this kind of industrial thirst. Currently, 80% of Alabama’s water withdrawals already cool power plants. Now add a data center with continuous cooling needs. It’s like inviting a camel into your tent, except this camel drinks millions of gallons daily.

Alabama’s water system is about to go from stressed to critical—like watching someone drink your emergency supply during a drought.

Local residents are freaking out, and honestly, can you blame them? People relying on wells worry about their water simply disappearing. Others fear noise, pollution, and watching their rural community transform into an industrial zone overnight.

Some folks showed up at public meetings only to discover officials had signed non-disclosure agreements. Transparency? Never heard of her.

The project site includes natural watersheds and blue creeks—ecosystems that large water withdrawals could devastate. Data centers require hundreds of gallons daily for cooling systems that mix water with chemical coolants, creating additional contamination risks. Deer, turkey, and other wildlife would lose their habitats. Downstream water users might find themselves high and dry.

But hey, progress!

Legally, it’s a mess. Residents filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the project, citing procedural failures and environmental threats. The city council temporarily paused the rezoning request after the challenge, but the planning commission had already approved it 4-2.

The developer dangles the promise of “high-paying, high-quality jobs” like a shiny object. Meanwhile, Google and Meta have similar projects underway elsewhere in Alabama. The state is becoming a data center hotspot—without bothering to create water management plans first.

If approved, this project could set a precedent for future development. Local resident Marshall Killingsworth voiced significant concerns about noise pollution that would permanently affect the community’s quality of life. Other eastern states regulate water withdrawals. Alabama? They’re basically saying, “Take what you want, we’ll figure it out later.”

That’s not a plan. That’s a prayer.