The assistant administrator for water at the EPA admitted during a congressional hearing on Wednesday that she had not received any complaints about the correlation between data center construction and drinking water contamination. This admission came right before Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez displayed two bottles of dirty water that she claimed came from Morgan County, GA, where a Meta data center is being built.
Jessica Kramer, who is Assistant Administrator for Water at the EPA, admitted at the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations hearing that she had not received any complaints about data center construction harming drinking water. Kramer clarified that she had changed her mind about the correlation after Ocasio-Cortez described her observations in Morgan County, Georgia.
Ocasio-Cortez quoted Kramer from a recent MAHA action call, saying, “When I turn the tap on, and when every American turns the tap on, there should be confidence in what’s in your drinking water.” Kramer agreed that assuring the safety of drinking water remains the most important mission of the EPA.
When asked whether she received any complaints about how the construction of a data center could affect water quality, Kramer admitted that she was aware of concerns. Still, those concerns relate to availability, not to the quality of water.
“One of the biggest concerns is related to water availability, which is why we recently relaunched the Water Reuse Action Plan 2.0,” Kramer said. Once, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez asked whether the EPA had received any complaints about the quality of drinking water affected by data center construction, Kramer said, “I’m not aware of that.”
Rep. Ocasio-Cortez described what she witnessed in Morgan County, including the construction of a data center campus, the clear-cutting of forests, and blasting. Local families near the data center have reported reduced pressure and malfunctioning home appliances. They now use bottled water for cooking and drinking, while residents’ water expenses are set to increase by 33%.
The congresswoman displayed two bottles of visibly dirty water and noted that “the only difference between the clean water and this was that data center.” “I think both of us can agree that neither one of these things is drinkable,” she concluded.
After receiving the evidence, Kramer admitted she needs to investigate the situation more thoroughly. “As soon as I get back to the office, I will look into exactly what you’ve talked about. Anywhere, whether whatever type of construction it is, it is a priority to ensure that water quality standards established by the EPA are being met,” she said.
In addition, Rep. Ocasio-Cortez asked whether the construction of data centers requires a pre-construction water quality check of well water before construction begins. Kramer said she is not aware of any such requirement, but “it might exist.”
“I think it’s of utmost importance that we also launch congressional investigations into this matter as well, so that we can partner with the EPA and ensure that the drinking water for this country continues to be safe and accessible for the American people,” she said.
This situation occurred amid efforts by the current administration to accelerate the construction of new data centers. In July 2025, an executive order streamlined permitting for data center infrastructure. Recently, on May 11, 2026, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin proposed new guidelines that would allow developers to begin pre-construction activities on their projects before obtaining all necessary permits. According to the EPA, there will be “no impact to human health or the environment.”
Currently, the Meta facility located in Morgan County consumes around 10% of the daily water volume. By 2030, the region is expected to experience a total water deficit.
