Data CentersTop story
The county drainage board approved pumping Microsoft site groundwater into local creeks
200,000gallons an hour, the estimated maximum discharge rate
That's the top rate listed in the project applications for the groundwater discharge.
If you live near Juday Creek, this one's for you. The St. Joseph County Drainage Board approved a permit Monday to pump groundwater out of the Microsoft data center construction site while crews install sewer and water lines.
Officials said the water has to be redirected before construction can begin. Board member Anthony Hazen said they don't expect flooding or creek overflow, and the drilling company plans to put monitors around nearby wells.
- Where it goes: Willow Creek and Juday Creek
- Wells: three, running at different times, not all at once
- Pumping window, per WNDU: mid-December to early April
- Pumping window, per WSBT: late February through April, about 40 days
Some residents asked the board to table the permit. Steve Francis of the Juday Lake Estates Homeowners Association said the work could drain nearly 192 million gallons from one area of the site. Neighbors on well water worry too. "We all have well water. That's concerning, too, because we don't know the effects of that or what that can take from us," said resident Jarrod Laymon.
