Homeowners and farmers near New Carlisle are seeing their wells and retention ponds drying up and they’ve asked the state to investigate whether work on the Amazon data centers and GM/Samsung battery plant is to blame.
Since they aren’t yet operating, Amazon hasn’t even started drawing the massive amounts of groundwater they’ll need to keep the data centers cool. But for months they’ve been dewatering the area’s fertile soils so they can build the infrastructure needed for the project.
The South Bend Tribune on Thursday reported on some property owners’ recent concerns. 65-year-old Patsy Bode said she’s selling her home of 20 years because her well ran dry and she can’t afford to drill another one.
Snowberry Road resident Edward Van Lue gave The Tribune pictures showing how his pond has dried up, then filled back up, then lost some water again. And his water pressure is lower.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources confirmed it’s investigating six recent residential well failures in the area.
The news comes as Amazon has asked the state to fill in more wetlands, allowing the company to increase, from 18 to 35, the number of data center shells it plans to build.
The Tribune also looked into whether precipitation has fallen. Experts didn’t offer a clear answer but weather data show last winter was drier than normal, while the prior winter was wetter. Winter precipitation is when groundwater recharges the most.
