A Michigan utility has approved a 12-month ban on supplying water to data centers, responding to concerns about resource consumption and environmental impact. The Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority (YCUA) voted Wednesday to impose a moratorium on water and sewer services for hyperscale and mid-size data centers, artificial intelligence computing facilities, and high-performance computational centers.
Background of the Decision
The move follows a request from Ypsilanti Township, where a $1.2-billion University of Michigan data center is planned. The YCUA board's resolution halts service commitments pending completion of several environmental and water system studies. YCUA supplies drinking water and sewer services to multiple communities in Washtenaw and Wayne counties.
Capacity Concerns
Ypsilanti Township Supervisor Brenda Stumbo, a YCUA commissioner, emphasized the utility's limited water and sewer capacity. "Two large data centers could take our capacity just like that," Stumbo said, warning that such usage could prevent home construction and business development. YCUA Executive Director Luke Blackburn noted that the wastewater treatment plant has an estimated excess capacity of 4 to 5 million gallons per day, but the last master plan dates to 2018, necessitating an updated study.
Data Center Water Usage
A University of Michigan official previously stated that the Ypsilanti Township data center project could use up to 500,000 gallons of water daily. Additionally, Thor Equities' proposed $1-billion data center in Augusta Township, also within YCUA's service territory, could consume 1 million gallons per day, according to MLive. Neither U of M nor Thor responded to requests for comment.
University of Michigan's Position
In an online statement, the university described its project as a "high-performance computing facility" that will create 200 jobs and support public projects in medicine, climate science, energy, and national security. A Los Alamos National Laboratory official told The Michigan Daily that the facility would conduct nuclear weapons research. As a public university, U of M is exempt from local zoning requirements, meaning the project does not need township approval.
Community Support for the Moratorium
Around 10 residents and Ypsilanti City Councilmember Me'Chelle King spoke in favor of the moratorium at the YCUA board meeting. Leah Mills-Chapman, a West Willow resident, said the moratorium would advance racial and environmental justice in an area already burdened by pollution. The Ypsilanti Township board passed a resolution in August calling for the data center to be relocated away from the Huron River to a site near West Willow, which ranks in the 85th percentile for pollution exposure according to Michigan's environmental justice screening tool.
On March 31, the township board opposed the project anywhere in the township, citing Los Alamos' nuclear weapons research and labeling the facility a "Tier 1" high-value target for terrorists. Augusta Township resident Wendy Albers, opposing Thor Equities' data center, expressed support for the moratorium, stating, "There's no one really protecting us, and this could be a step to allow our communities time to do their due diligence."
This story was originally published by Planet Detroit and distributed through a partnership with The Associated Press.
