A data center in Georgia secretly drew nearly 30 million gallons of water over 15 months through connections the county utility didn't know existed, discovered only when residents in a nearby subdivision noticed their water pressure dropping. County officials declined to fine the operator, citing the facility's importance as a major customer — highlighting how local governments often lack leverage to enforce regulations against large corporate interests. The incident exemplifies the infrastructure and accountability tensions communities face when hosting high-water-demand facilities like AI data centers without proper permitting oversight.