Quality Technology Services, a major U.S. data center operator, consumed nearly 30 million gallons of water over 15 months during the construction of a new facility in Douglas County, Georgia. The usage, spanning January 2025 to April 2026, came to light on May 8 amid a severe drought.
QTS was retroactively billed $147,000 for the water, a fraction of a penny per gallon, while local residents faced strict rationing. The company is building two massive campuses totaling 6.6 million square feet across 615 acres.
Georgia has become a hub for crypto mining due to low energy costs. A December 2025 report by the Atlanta Regional Commission warned that data centers could consume up to 10% of local water supplies. Globally, Bitcoin mining alone uses between 591 billion and 2 trillion gallons of water annually, according to a 2025 study.
The backlash is intensifying. North Carolina has already imposed moratoriums on similar operations. For investors, tighter regulations mean higher operational costs, thinner margins, and slower project timelines.