Aberdeen, South Dakota, has a short window to decide whether to slow down before a data center can be built inside city limits. Since July, the city has paused building and zoning permits for data centers. That pause runs out on November 18. The Aberdeen City Council is now weighing Resolution No. 26-07-04R, which would keep it in place until July 1, 2027.

City leaders say they need more time to understand how a data center could affect residents’ health and safety. Two concerns stand out: the city’s water supply and noise for nearby neighbors. Once a permit is issued, those effects are hard to undo.

Aberdeen is not alone. Yankton County passed a six-month pause in July. Minnehaha County planners have talked about noise limits and keeping data centers from drawing down local groundwater, and the county plans to form a task force to study the issue. Towns and counties across the state are asking the same question: what rules should be in place first?

A public hearing on the extension is set for October 19, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. The council has not voted on it yet. Councilmember David Novstrup has said the council knows residents are concerned and is willing to listen and answer questions.

Extending the moratorium is not a permanent ban. It gives Aberdeen time to get the facts on water, noise, and costs before making a decision that could shape the city for years to come.

The Aberdeen City Council should approve Resolution No. 26-07-04R and extend the moratorium to July 1, 2027.

Sign the petition to tell the Aberdeen City Council to protect the city’s water and extend the moratorium before the current pause runs out in November.