Ypsilanti Twp asks utilities authority to impose immediate 12-month moratorium on water, sewer services for data centers

In an unanimous vote Tuesday night, the Ypsilanti Township Board of Trustees passed Resolution 2026-08, formally requesting that the Ypsilanti Community Utilities Authority impose an immediate 12-month moratorium on water and sewer services for data centers, AI computing facilities, and high-performance computing sites.

If the YCUA’s commissioners agree, the moratorium would include the controversial $1.25 billion University of Michigan and Los Alamos National Laboratory data center project.

The resolution, approved during a special meeting at the township Civic Center, marks the latest escalation in local opposition to the proposed supercomputing facility, which critics have labeled a national security risk and an unnecessary strain on public resources. The move also builds on the board’s March 31 Resolution 2026-05, which declared “strong and unequivocal opposition” to siting the Los Alamos-linked facility anywhere in the township, calling it a “Tier I High Value Target” due to its ties to nuclear weapons modeling and classified national security work.

Aside from concerns over nuclear weapons research, township officials and residents have expressed concerns over the amount of water needed to cool the data center facility.

Projected to use up to 500,000–650,000 gallons of water per day for evaporative cooling, officials are now urging the utility to review the cumulative impacts of high-volume water users, including the UM-Los Alamos facility.

Citing a lack of independent, data-driven studies by the YCUA, officials say that they currently have more questions than answers related to potential impacts on the Great Lakes, where the YCUA system sources its water.

“There are simply more questions than answers and we have a duty and obligation to know the potential effects for our residents, our business owners, our environment,” Supervisor Brenda Stumbo said.

Stumbo and township attorney Doug Winters – emphasizing recommendations by groups like the American Water Works Association – hope the utility will implement best water practices before committing capacity to projects that could consume hundreds of thousands of gallons daily.

While university officials have insisted the amount fits within existing surplus capacity and would not require major infrastructure upgrades, township leaders argue that little research has been conducted.

At least one commissioner on the YCUA appears to agree. Commissioner Luther Blackburn has introduced a nearly identical moratorium resolution to the township’s, which the YCUA is scheduled to review on April 22, 2026. If passed, Blackburn’s resolution would “adopt a moratorium on the delivery, commitment, reservation, extension, or approval of water and sewer services for hyperscale data centers, mid-sized data centers, artificial intelligence computing facilities, and high-performance computing centers” pending completion of comprehensive due diligence investigations.”

The agenda item appears to signal that the utility – which serves roughly 330,000 people across Ypsilanti Township and the City of Ypsilanti – may be willing to pause new commitments while studying long-term effects on water supply, wastewater treatment, and system capacity.

The latest developments underscore growing local skepticism toward the UM-Los Alamos project as township officials say years of inadequate transparency have eroded trust.

Residents and activists have repeatedly voiced concerns over water use, power demands, environmental justice, and the risks of hosting a classified nuclear-related computing facility near homes and critical infrastructure.

The YCUA board’s April 22 meeting will be closely watched. If approved, the moratorium could delay the UM-Los Alamos project significantly, buying time for further study and potential relocation efforts.

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