WALTON COUNTY, Ga. — Four Georgia families are suing Facebook’s parent company, Meta, saying construction of its data center contaminated their well water.
Meta’s Stanton Springs Data Center is located on the Newton and Walton county border, just 400 yards away from one of those families’ homes.
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That family recently opened their home to California Congressman Ro Khanna. Channel 2’s Ashlyn Webb was the only TV reporter to tour the property and see firsthand what the families say they are experiencing day to day.
“That’s the sediment in it,” Beverly Morris said, pointing to a bucket of rusty, red water.
Beverly and her husband Jeff Morris say this is what they’re finding in their water lines ever since construction began next door at the Meta Stanton Springs Data Center.
Because of it, they say they are afraid to drink their water, hauling buckets of water to use at home and for their animals.
The families have collected mason jars of water they say they pulled from their lines.
The Morrises say the water issues have wreaked havoc on their home, with sediment clogging water lines, causing low water pressure and destroying appliances.
“We’ve gone through three washing machines and, you know, uh,” Beverly Morris said.
“Two dishwashers, right? At least two,” Jeff Morris added.
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Video from one of their neighbors’ homes shows a water filter being changed. In the video, the water and filter appear heavily discolored.
The families allege in a 180-page lawsuit that sediment is clogging filters so quickly that one family had to replace an entire water filter within a month.
The suit claims blasting, excavation and land clearing at the data center disturbed the groundwater system and allowed sediment to enter the aquifer where nearby families, including the Morrises, draw their well water.
According to Georgia Environmental Protection Division maps, the data center sits on what is known as a recharge area. The state says these areas have the greatest vulnerability to pollution of groundwater from surface and near-surface activities.
Meta acknowledged in a letter addressed to the Morrises that construction included “limited blasting” of rock and soil approximately 1.1 miles away from the homeowners’ property.
However, Meta says it hired independent consultants to investigate the issue.
Meta said in a letter to the Morrises, the study concluded that “construction and operational activities at Meta’s Stanton Springs Data Center development are not likely to be the cause of issues experienced at the homeowner’s well.”
Meta said in a statement to Channel 2 Action News that “the groundwater flows away from these properties, not toward them — and every gallon [the data center] used came from the local utility, not groundwater.”
Meta told the Morris family in a letter addressed to them that the Morrises’ issues are likely due to factors such as “well age and maintenance practices.”
The Morrises argue there is no other cause besides the data center.
“This is so serious. This affects not only your everyday living and what you’ve got to do to adjust your life, but you can’t change, you’re trapped,” Beverly Morris said.
California Congressman Ro Khanna recently introduced the Data Center Bill of Rights, which would prohibit data centers from being built within 2,500 feet of homes. After touring the area, Khanna said he wants to expand that proposed restriction.
Khanna says he is demanding answers from Meta about why it chose this site, what studies were done before construction began, and whether there were any warnings about the potential impact on nearby homes and groundwater.
Full Statement from Meta to Channel 2 Action News:
“Meta has been part of this community for nearly a decade — creating jobs, supporting small businesses, investing $5.6 million in local schools and nonprofits, and providing 170 local grants and scholarships. When residents raised concerns about water issues, we commissioned an independent study. It found groundwater flows away from these properties, not toward them — and every gallon we used came from the local utility, not groundwater. We’re proud to call this community home and remain committed to being a good neighbor here.”
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