The increasing prevalence of data centers in Michigan may leave residents wondering if Michigan’s water infrastructure can keep up.
In a 2023 report from the American Society of Civil Engineers, Michigan received a C for wastewater management, D+ grade for drinking water and a D for stormwater management. The problem? Most of Michigan’s infrastructure is more than 50 years old, and there’s a need for long-term, sustainable funding to drive success.
The state has a gap of $860 million to $1.1 billion annually between what it spends on water infrastructure and what it needs to spend because of deferred maintenance, according to the report. Michigan needs nearly $6 billion in funds for stormwater, the EPA said.
Jeff Johnston, a spokesperson for the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy, said Michigan’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund provides loans to municipalities for wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects. And in 2024, EGLE awarded $907.4 million for 34 projects statewide.
Another challenge is extreme weather conditions due to climate change. Flooding is a prime example. In the Great Lakes, the total annual precipitation has increased by 14% since 1900, according to the ASCE. It reports that, “storm sewer systems do not have the capacity to safely convey water from those extreme water events.”
Johnston said EGLE is continuing to monitor water quality across the state. He said rising infrastructure costs and the need for more qualified contractors are additional challenges.
Russell Whipple, the mayor of Mason, said the city just south of the state’s capital is anticipating the demands of new data centers. He said the city is undertaking an exhaustive water and aquifer study to get a sense of the capacity of its water system, including wells, pipes, water treatment, and wastewater plants.
Whipple said the results of the study will be analyzed so the city can advocate for an ordinance that provides standards for the maximum amount of water any large user, including data centers, can draw.
“The fact is the data center could walk into Mason tomorrow and we have an ordinance that they would fall under, but it has no standards to mitigate the primary issues that come with the data center,” said Whipple.
He added that public concern over data centers has led to “monster crowds” at council meetings. He said people are worried data centers will contaminate water and use up too much energy.
“The vast majority of those concerns are misinformed,” Whipple continued. “I've researched them, and I've not been able to find any evidence that points to a data center just by its existence is going to be a danger to anyone,” he said.
“I believe that the bigger issues are that it's big, it covers a lot of land. It's going to be a definite visual change to the area.”
Johnston, the EGLE spokesperson, said data centers will be inspected to make sure they’re following environmental laws. He said they may need permits for air emissions, water use, wastewater discharge, or impacts to wetlands and streams.
Whipple said Mason has some old piping, but the city is continually monitoring water and sewer infrastructure.
“I'm very comfortable that we've got a very good handle on what our water infrastructure status is,” Whipple said. “And any impact to that from a large user such as the data center would be paid for by the data center.”
