Water and groundwater risks top concerns as Butler County debates data‑center zoning

Multiple speakers at the July 7 meeting urged the Planning Commission to require independent water‑feasibility and environmental impact studies before any data center approval. Several residents said the draft is inconsistent about non‑public water use and asked the county to explicitly prohibit use of private groundwater unless a public water source is confirmed and an independent study demonstrates no harm to nearby wells.

Carrie Shearburn cited out‑of‑state cases of contamination and large water withdrawals and said regulators cannot rely only on corporate assurances. She noted, “More than 1 billion gallons were extracted by a Council Bluffs, Iowa facility,” and urged caution about permitting large withdrawals without rigorous oversight. Residents asked for mandatory third‑party hydrological modeling, publicly accessible impact studies, and mechanisms to prevent transfers of pre‑project agreements under nondisclosure terms.