Can construction cause sediment to settle in drinking water?

Sediment from construction — like loose soil, sand and clay — can infiltrate waterways and drinking water systems, including water utilities and private wells, through stormwater runoff. According to a release from Robins Air Force Base, sediment causes water “to be cloudy, affecting plant growth, animal development and the quality of potential drinking water.”

A Meta data center in Morgan County, less than an hour east of Atlanta, has been under phased construction since 2018. U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., mentioned the project in a May congressional hearing, saying the build had contaminated nearby private wells. A U.S. Environmental Protection Agency representative agreed to investigate the matter.

Meta has denied responsibility, telling CBS News that a study “concluded the company’s construction and operations were unlikely to have impacted the nearby well due to the area’s watershed structure, topography and groundwater flow patterns.”