We received this notice from a concerned citizen.
It’s much like the one we posted back in 2015.
![[Another Valdosta drinking water violation, Again HAA5, Minor, 2026-01-15]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-01-15--vld-haa5-violation/many.jpg)
Another Valdosta drinking water violation, Again HAA5, Minor, 2026-01-15
PUBLIC NOTIFICATION
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR DRINKING WATER
HAAS VIOLATION AT City of Valdosta Water SystemWater System Name: City of Valdosta (GA 1850002) Continue reading
Update 2026-03-04: WFNF unanimous aye from Florida Senate Rules Committee 2026-03-03.
Please come to the WFNF ratification meeting of the Florida Senate Rules Committee, at 9 AM, Tuesday, March 3, 2026. That’s at the Pat Thomas Committee Room, 412 Knott Building, 404 South Monroe Street Tallahassee, FL 32399.
https://www.flsenate.gov/Committees/Show/RC/
If we’re lucky, they’ll be done by lunchtime. There is no way to predict when they will take up SB 7034.
All of you who in meetings and online have opposed the Water First North Florida (WFNF) project to pipe treated Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee River Basin: here’s a chance to stop it.
If you can’t come in person, please call or write your Florida state Senator.
Either way, please be polite but firm.
Two Suwannee River Basin Florida State Senators are on the Rules Committee: Continue reading
Looks like there is ample room for improvement in the Solid Waste Open Dump Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-12-22.
If anyone sees any creek or river contamination that might be coming from any of these sites (on Paul King Road, Luke King Road, or Whitley Tucker Road), please let WWALS and GA-EPD know.
![[Notice of Violation, Caton Farms, LLC, Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO), 2026-02-19]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-19--caton-inspection/fbmany.jpg)
Notice of Violation, Caton Farms, LLC, Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO), 2026-02-19
Georgia
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION DIVISIONJeffrey W. Cown, Director
Southwest District
2024 Newton Road
Albany, Georgia 31701
229-430-4144February 19, 2026
Mr. Charles Kincaid, Operator
Caton Farms, LLC
tkincaid1967@gmail.comRE: Notice of Violation
Caton Farms, LLC
Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO)
Berrien County, GeorgiaDear Mr. Kincaid:
A routine compliance inspection was conducted at the above referenced composting facility by representatives of the Georgia Environmental Protection Division on February 10, 2026. This Notice of Violation is issued to Caton Farms, LLC for deficiencies with regard to the referenced Permit and the Georgia Rules for Solid Waste Management (Rules). The enclosed Compost Class 2 Permit-by-Rule Checklist notes three (3) deficiencies, which are listed below for your review and attention:
Continue reading
Update 2026-02-26: Notice of Violation, Caton Farms, LLC, Permit No. PBR-010-0020(CO) 2026-02-19.
We have a candidate for what caused the nasty Alapaha River water that Mike Paulk reported on February 16, 2026, at GA 135 south of Willacoochee, Georgia.
Somebody from Louisiana owns land in Berrien County at three locations. According to the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA-EPD), they found “chicken litter, large trees, and soybean material” at a reported site. This was a violation of Georgia Solid Waste rules, especially considering the landowner had no solid waste handling permit.
![[Solid Waste Open Dump, Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-02-15]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2025-12-22--dwight-caton-soybeans/fbmany.jpg)
Solid Waste Open Dump, Consent Order on Dwight Caton in Berrien County, GA 2025-02-15
One of those locations has creeks running through it a short distance to the Alapaha River. That’s east of Luke King Road, north of Bruce Farm Road, northeast of Enigma, Georgia. See the red outline on this map. Continue reading
Today at 4PM, an important datacenter bill will be in a Georgia Senate Committee.
That’s the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities, and GA SB 34, to prohibit electric bills of commercial data centers from being passed on to other customers.
Even if you are in favor of that datacenter, this bill is to your advantage, so you don’t end up paying higher electric rates.
![[Datacenter electricity bill SB 34 in GA Senate Committee, today 4 PM 2026-02-24]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-24--datacenter-power-ga-sb-34-senate-committee/many.jpg)
Datacenter electricity bill SB 34 in GA Senate Committee, today 4 PM 2026-02-24
You may recall that the last time this bill was heard by this committee, Senator Carden Summers tried to water it down.
Sen. Summers represents Irwinville, where a datacenter is planned, with a special exception request to be heard at an Irwin County Planning Commission in Ocilla next Thursday, February 26, 2026.
His contact information: (404) 656-9224, carden.summers@senate.ga.gov.
His District 13 includes all of Ben Hill, Irwin, Berrien, Tift, Worth, Turner, and Crisp Counties, and part of Coffee County.
If you are not in District 13, to find your legislators you can type in your ZIP code here:
http://openstates.org/find_your_legislator/
Or follow this QR code for a handy Sierra Club form: Continue reading
Update 2026-02-24: Datacenter electricity SB 34 in GA Senate Committee 2026-02-24.
As I said at the end, we saw unprecedented transparency from the property owner and Georgia Power, at the Lowndes County meeting about datacenters, February 17, 2026, at Valdosta State University.
We still need much more due diligence and we need a datacenter ordinance by Lowndes County.
I thank Pope Langdale for revealing that the datacenter would be by DC BLOX, and that their CEO had promised him closed loop cooling with minimal water from county utilities and a large number of high-paying jobs.
However, that CEO’s job is to be chief salesman for his product. Where are the specifications of this closed loop system? Where are some locations of DC BLOX datacenters we can all examine to see how they actually work? And ask their neighbors what they think? The DC BLOX website says they have 17 locations, and has a map with city or county names, but no further information.
Please listen to the experts on the panel and the people in the room, especially the students, who said they have not been able to find any datacenter neighbors who have had a positive experience.
I understand Joe Brownlee of Georgia Power’s wish to provide jobs and tax revenue. But, as I discussed with him after the meeting, it’s not good to get too dependent on a business that may vanish soon. Plus he is well aware that I and WWALS differ with he and Georgia Power about natural gas pipelines and power plants, more of which are now proposed to power these datacenters in Georgia.
We’ve all heard promises of many high-paying jobs before. The Sabal Trail pipeline promised that. Which turned out to be construction jobs outsourced to contractors from Texas and Oklahoma.
To the person who demanded Pope Langdale get the Lowndes County Commission to pass a datacenter ordinance: be careful what you wish for. You do not actually want local rich people completely controling local governments. You all need to be getting an ordinance passed.
Meanwhile near Irwinville, a special exception for a datacenter is on the agenda for the Ocilla/Irwin County Planning Commission this Thursday, February 26, 2026.
Amy Sharma’s Science for Georgia presentation slides are on the WWALS website, in PowerPoint and PDF, and on google drive.
The model datacenter ordinances by Science for Georgia are also on the WWALS website, or follow the QR code: Continue reading
Update 2026-02-20: Nobody at a Live Oak meeting liked Jacksonville wastewater into the Suwannee Basin 2026-02-05.
In Lake City this evening at 5:30 PM,
the Columbia County Commissioners will hear from SRWMD about WFNF, the SRWMD and SJRWMD plan to pipe treated wastewater from Jacksonville into wetlands in the Suwannee River Basin, supposedly to replenish the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers and their springs.
Go if you can, and be early if you want to speak. The location is School Board Administrative Complex, 372 West Duval Street, Lake City, FL. 32055.
![[Water First North Florida, Columbia BOCC 2026-02-19, WWALS Letter, SRWMD Letter]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-19--wwals-wfnf-columbia-bocc/fbmany.jpg)
Water First North Florida, Columbia BOCC 2026-02-19, WWALS Letter, SRWMD Letter
I sent a letter, included below, and a request to speak at a later meeting.
Also below is the letter SRWMD sent to Columbia BOCC.
Remember to ask your local, state, and federal elected and appointed officials for answers, or to stop this project. Continue reading
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.
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.
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.
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. Continue reading
Update 2026-02-24: Datacenter electricity SB 34 in GA Senate Committee 2026-02-24.
Update 2026-02-17: Datacenter water use and Irwin County Planning Commission and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16.
Georgia state Senator Carden Summers, who represents Irwinville, tried last Thursday to “gut” SB 34, which would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills. That’s a bill he co-sponsors.
Sen. Summers represents Irwinville, where a datacenter is planned, with a special exception request to be heard at an Irwin County Planning Commission in Ocilla next Thursday, February 26, 2026.
He tried a similar amendment a year ago in the same committee, and could not get a second for his motion, according to Dave Williams, Capitol Beat, February 25, 2025. The committee favorably reported SB 34 on February 26, 2025, and apparently its text remains unchanged since then.
Maybe you’d like to ask Sen. Carden Summers why he is a co-sponsor of SB 34 if he doesn’t like what it says?
https://www.legis.ga.gov/members/senate/4971?session=1033
(404) 463-5258
carden.summers@senate.ga.gov
He represents Berrien, Tift, Worth, Crisp, Turner, Ben Hill, Irwin, and west half of Coffee Counties.
If he’s not your state Senator, feel free to contact yours:
https://wwals.net/about/elected-officials/georgia-senate/
This is the Senate video of the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities on February 12, 2026, about SB 34.
Continue readingUpdate 2025-03-01: Datacenter: recommended approval –Irwin County Planning Commission 2026-02-26
Update 2026-02-17: Datacenter water use and Irwin County Planning Commission and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16.
Update 2026-02-16: So-called AI hallucinates no matter how good its training data –OpenAI 2025-09-18.
Apparently the Planning Commission meeting on Thursday, February 26, at 6 PM, has been moved to the Courthouse. If so, that indicates much interest in this case.
I’m told this datacenter would be for Google, but it doesn’t really matter which big company wants it.
![[Datacenter proposed, Irwinville, GA, near Alapaha River, Planning Commission 2026-02-26]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-26--irwinville/many.jpg)
Datacenter proposed, Irwinville, GA, near Alapaha River, Planning Commission 2026-02-26
Datacenters for so-called AI are wasteful misuses of water that could go to agriculture and other uses, and of power that requires more power plants that use more cooling water.
The current alleged artificial intelligence (AI) and especially the current brute-force methods of implementing it will be leapfrogged by something else within a few years, just like expensive computer workstations got leapfrogged by Intel PCs and now everybody has something faster and more capable in their pocket.
Why waste our most irreplaceable resource, water, for this? Continue reading
![[Call to stop WFNF bill 2026-03-03, Florida Senate Rules Committee, No JAX wastewater into Suwannee Basin]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-03-03--fl-senate-rules/many.jpg)
![[Unprecedented transparency, Need much more due diligence, Datacenter meeting, VSU, Lowndes County, GA 2026-02-17]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-17--datacenters-lowndes/fbmany.jpg)
![[Datacenter water use, Irwin County Planning Commission, and Industrial Authority @ WALB TV 2026-02-16]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-16--walb-datacenters/fbmany.jpg)
![[Whirlpak 2026-02-26 --WALB TV]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-16--walb-datacenters/2026-02-26--whirlpak.jpg)
![[Sen. Carden Summers tries 2026-02-12, to amend to weaken GA SB 34, that would require datacenters to pay their own electric bills]](https://www.wwals.net/pictures/2026-02-12--ga-sen-comm-regulated-industries-and-utilities/fbmany.jpg)