Data Center Noise Pollution, Water Contamination Lawsuits

Attorneys are looking into whether lawsuits can be filed on behalf of people who have experienced noise pollution and water contamination from data centers near their homes.

The U.S. has over 4,300 data centers—facilities that house the servers, networking equipment and infrastructure that support the digital world—and as more data center projects are being planned, local communities have raised concerns about their propensity to emit disruptive noise.

According to lawsuits filed against data center operators by locals, noise and vibrations produced by data center operations are “pervasive, inescapable, and unbearable,” interfering with residents’ enjoyment of their properties, decreasing property values and even impacting their health.

The attorneys are also looking into whether data centers are contributing to groundwater contamination by failing to properly dispose of the millions of gallons of water used to cool their servers and equipment. According to one ground contamination lawsuit, the operation of Amazon data centers in Oregon has exacerbated levels of nitrates in the local water supply, causing various health issues and forcing residents to spend money on clean water.

The attorneys are now looking to speak with others whose lives have been impacted by noise pollution or water contamination from a nearby data center. It’s possible that lawsuits could be filed to help residents recover money for the harm they’ve suffered.

How Loud Are Data Centers?

Data center noise complaints and concerns have been on the rise in local communities, with residents expressing frustration with what they say is a constant disturbance.

Data center noise has been described by residents on forums such as Reddit as a “constant humming,” “a low hum that never stops,” a “low frequency buzzing,” a “high pitched [sic] whining,” a “high-pitched squeaking noise” or a “jet engine never turning off.” As one person put it, “Data center noise is relentless.”

According to the Environmental and Energy Study Institute (EESI), data center noise emanates from the facilities’ cooling systems and power sources, including fans, diesel generators and gas turbines. Industrial-sized diesel generators can produce noise of up to 105 decibels, and cooling towers in onsite gas power plants can emit up to 70 dBA within 400 feet, the EESI states.

People who live near data centers have reportedly experienced health effects, including headaches, vertigo, nausea, sleep disturbances, ear pain and hypertension from data center noise pollution.

According to the EESI, how far data center noise travels depends in part on their noise reduction solutions, which may include soundproofing of equipment and facilities and investing in quieter cooling technologies.

Data Center Noise Pollution Lawsuits

Several proposed class action lawsuits have been filed recently over alleged data center noise pollution.

One case filed in April 2026 claims residents of North Tonawanda, New York have experienced excessive noise from a Bitcoin mining operation. According to the private nuisance lawsuit, Digi Power operates a data center housing thousands of high-processing computers that attempt to solve complex mathematical puzzles to receive Bitcoin as a reward, a process referred to as cryptocurrency “mining.” The lawsuit says the data center uses “massive industrial-grade fans that run day and night without interruption” in order to keep the computers cool, and these fans allegedly produce “a loud, droning, and persistent noise” that can be heard throughout nearby properties.

Residents claim the Bitcoin mining noise, which includes low-frequency sound that “manifests like vibrations,” has interfered with their ability to sleep, have conversations, relax and enjoy their properties. Per the case, residents have suffered annoyance, emotional distress, loss of comfort and enjoyment, loss of property value and an increased risk of potentially serious health effects.

Specifically, the lawsuit claims chronic noise exposure can lead to elevated stress hormones, oxidative stress, endothelial dysfunction, elevated blood pressure and even cardiovascular disease.

Two other lawsuits were filed in May 2026 over data centers in Dowagiac, Michigan and Vineland, New Jersey, respectively. The Dowagiac data center noise lawsuit claims Alliance Cloud Services operates a facility that provides artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing services, including Bitcoin mining, colocation and hosting services. The data center requires an onsite power supply and “extensive cooling systems” that the lawsuit says produce significant noise pollution. Per the suit, the AI data center noise is “not only excessive, but constant at all hours of the day, every day of the week.”

Similarly, the Vineland, NJ data center noise lawsuit alleges that properties near a facility operated by DataOne USA have been “physically invaded” by pervasive and excessive noise.

Both lawsuits claim the data center operators failed to implement adequate soundproofing and low-noise cooling systems to prevent excessive noise pollution beyond their respective properties.

Data Center Water Pollution Lawsuit

A lawsuit filed in March 2026 claims Amazon Data Services has contributed to water contamination in Oregon’s Morrow and Umatilla counties through its operation of at least 13 data centers in the area.

The groundwater contamination lawsuit alleges that the water in Morrow and Umatilla counties is “dangerously polluted” with nitrates, which can lead to various health effects such as birth defects and cancer.

According to the lawsuit, Amazon’s use and disposal of water at its data centers has exacerbated the counties’ water pollution issues. The case claims Amazon’s data centers require hundreds of thousands of gallons of water per day to cool their servers and equipment, with some water evaporating each time it passes through the system. As the water evaporates, nitrates and other contaminants become even more concentrated, the lawsuit says. However, the case claims that instead of properly disposing of the high-nitrate wastewater, Amazon channels some of it into open-air canals from which the water is sprayed directly onto land in the area. Nitrates in the water then permeate the soil and contaminate the underlying aquifer, which supplies water to area residents, the suit says.

Amazon allegedly disposes of the rest of the wastewater by channeling it to the Port of Morrow, a port authority that processes industrial wastewater by dumping it on local farmland, the suit says. Per the case, Amazon is well aware that the Port of Morrow has repeatedly violated a permit that prohibits it from dumping more wastewater than the soil can absorb, resulting in contamination of the groundwater.

According to the Umatilla data center lawsuit, Amazon’s activities have contributed to nitrates in well water at levels that far exceed federal and state safety limits.

Per the case, residents with contaminated wells must rely on bottled water for drinking, cooking and other household purposes, while those with public water access have had to pay inflated water bills to cover the increased costs of removing excess nitrates from their water.

Affected residents have also had their property values decrease and have suffered harm to their health by ingesting nitrate in water, the lawsuit says.

How Could a Data Center Lawsuit Help?

A data center noise pollution or water pollution lawsuit could help affected residents recover money for any harm they’ve experienced, including property damage, a decrease in their property value, the costs of mitigating noise or water contamination in their home, loss of enjoyment of their property, emotional distress, annoyance, discomfort and more.

It could also require the data center operator to pay for medical monitoring for future health risks and potentially force the data center to take actions to prevent further harm to residents.

What You Can Do

After you get in touch, an attorney or legal representative may reach out to you directly to ask you some questions and explain how you may be able to help get a class action lawsuit started. It costs nothing to fill out the form or speak with someone, and you’re not obligated to take legal action if you decide you don’t want to.

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