Yes.

Data centers can contaminate water sources, including wells, if backup diesel fuel or polluted wastewater from cooling systems escapes containment.

A 2025 Congressional Research Service report says data centers commonly use backup diesel systems with underground fuel storage tanks. Underground storage tank leaks are a common source of groundwater contamination, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

A February 2026 University of California, Berkeley, report says wastewater from data center cooling systems may contain concentrated minerals, chemical additives and other pollutants. Those can contaminate groundwater if discharged improperly. 

Maine lawmakers have passed a bill, LD 307, that would bar approvals for new data centers with loads of 20 megawatts or more until Nov. 1, 2027, while a state-appointed council studies their effects on ratepayers, grid reliability and the environment. Gov. Janet Mills had not signed it as of April 22; she has until April 25 to act.

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Sources

• Congressional Research Service: Data Centers and Their Energy Consumption: Frequently Asked Questions
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Learn About Underground Storage Tanks
• UC Berkeley Center for Law, Energy & the Environment: Regulating Data Center Water Use in California (Pg. 19)
• 132nd Maine Legislature, Second Regular Session: An Act to Establish the Maine Data Center Coordination Council and Place a Temporary Limitation on Certain Data Centers