Datacenter water use and Irwin County Planning Commission and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16

In an interview yesterday by WALB TV:

Meanwhile, WWALS Watershed Coalition Suwannee Riverkeeper John S. Quarterman said his own research raises concerns about what large-scale data centers could mean for local water resources and river health.

Datacenter water use, Irwin County Planning Commission, and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16

Quarterman said data centers typically require significant water for cooling and large amounts of electricity to operate, which he argues can indirectly affect water resources through increased demand on power generation. He said the Suwannee River Basin and surrounding aquifer systems are closely connected, meaning impacts to surface water can also affect drinking water supplies, agriculture and recreation.

Whirlpak 2026-02-26 –WALB TV

Quarterman adds that water levels in some rivers and springs are already low during drought conditions, and he said he worries additional industrial demand could place further strain on natural resources.

See also the datacenter bills in Datacenter proposed, Irwinville, near Alapaha River 2026-02-26.

https://wwals.net/?p=69394

Taylor Lewis, WALB News 10, February 16, 2026, updated 6 PM, 2nd South Georgia county moves to dissolve industrial authority: What it could mean for future data center builds.

Taylor Lewis, 2026-02-16 –WALB TV

According to a public notice from the county, the Ocilla/Irwin Planning Advisory Commission will consider an application for a special exception to zoning on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at the County Commissioner’s Office, 225 East 4th Street in Ocilla.

The Irwin County Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the application on Monday, March 2, at 5:45 p.m. at the Irwin County Courthouse, 301 South Irwin Avenue in Ocilla.

The application reportedly seeks approval for the construction and operation of a data center on property located at 0 Ponderosa Drive and 0 Alapaha River Road. The proposal covers approximately 546.35 acres in an agricultural (AU) zone. The applicant is listed as James Russell Bryant acting for The Marcus D. Fletcher Trust.

Map: Fletcher Trust, 2026-02-26 — Irwin County Tax Assessors

That’s on Ponderosa Drive near where it deadends north into Horseshoebend Road.

GPS: 31.599829, -83.384377

All you can see from Ponderosa Drive is planted pines, and some natural woods near a small stream crossing the road.

Map: Ponderosa Drive, 2026-02-16 –Google Street View

The proposed datacenter is near the Alapaha River southwest of Irwinville, in Irwin County, Georgia.

The interview yesterday was at Langdale Park Boat Ramp on the Withlacoochee River in Lowndes County, Georgia.

WWALS Water Trail signs @ Langdale Park Boat Ramp, 2026-02-16 –jsq for WWALS

-jsq, John S. Quarterman, Suwannee RIVERKEEPER®

You can help with clean, swimmable, fishable, drinkable, water in the 10,000-square-mile Suwannee River Basin in Florida and Georgia by becoming a WWALS member today!
https://wwals.net/donations/