- Fayette County residents faced water restrictions while unmetered business usage continued unnoticed for months
- County officials only discovered hidden data center connections after press complaints intensified locally
- QTS consumed millions of gallons before authorities recognized unauthorized access to the water system
The recent moderate to severe drought in the US state of Georgia put a particular strain on Fayette County’s water resources, leading local officials to impose conservation measures on households.
But homeowners in a nearby subdivision reported unusually low pressure, prompting urgent complaints to authorities, who initially focused on directives to stop lawn watering without revealing the underlying cause.
But the county quickly discovered that a massive data center campus was the real source of the problem, as the Quality Technology Services (QTS) facility, known as Project Excalibur, had drawn about 29 million gallons of water through two connections the county didn’t even know existed.
Unauthorized water use went unnoticed for months
County water systems director Vanessa Tigert blamed a procedural error during the transition to a cloud-based metering system.
Her department apparently only has one employee who handles both oversight and plan review, and she admitted they can’t retain staff.
The county and QTS disagreed on how long the water went unmetered, with Tigert estimating four months and QTS saying 9 to 15 months.
A resident received the utility’s May 2025 letter through a public records request, and the truth finally came out — namely that the county had known about QTS’s unmetered connections for months without taking any enforcement action.
Despite the situation, no financial sanctions were issued, and when asked about the decision, Tigert said Politico“They are our biggest customer and we have to be partners.”
Fayette County chose customer service over enforcement, calling the relationship a partnership rather than a statutory obligation.
The QTS campus spans 6.2 million square feet across 13 buildings, with plans for up to 16 structures at full build-out.
The city expects the project to generate $150-200 million annually in property tax revenue.
QTS refuses to use the water for cooling
According to QTS, the 29 million gallons were consumed during temporary construction activities, including concrete work, dust control and site preparation.
It uses a closed cooling system for its operational data centers that recirculates water instead of drawing from the municipal supply.
Once fully operational, QTS said its facilities would only require water for domestic needs such as bathrooms and kitchens.
QTS owed $147,474 in back taxes for the unmetered usage, but the county refused to fine the company.
The residents who were told to stop watering their lawns now know exactly where their water went.
Although no fines were issued, the company paid its bill and the county called the case settled.
Such conclusions reveal the vulnerabilities of utility oversight under resource crunches, potentially eroding public trust when large users evade default accountability.
If QTS were not a major property tax contributor, the county’s response likely would have included financial penalties rather than a waived fine and a partnership apology, with the incident revealing how large corporate interests can effectively write their own rules when local governments depend on their revenue.
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