When Jeff and Beverly Morris bought their peaceful home in Newton County, Georgia, they thought they’d found their forever place. But shortly after Meta broke ground on a $750 million data center just 1,000 feet away, their well water started to fail. Appliances broke. Toilets stopped flushing. Tap water turned brown. And eventually, their faucets ran dry.

The Morrises aren't alone — at least three of their neighbors have reported similar problems since Meta began construction. Local officials say the county may run out of water by 2030 if something doesn't change. Meanwhile, Meta’s data center uses up to 500,000 gallons of water per day, and more tech companies are lining up to take even more.

Despite the overwhelming evidence, Meta has refused to take responsibility. Its recent visit to the Morris family offered no meaningful help. The couple — including their adult son with Down syndrome — still can’t safely use the water in their home. They’ve spent thousands replacing appliances and can't afford the $25,000 cost of drilling a new well.

This is not acceptable.

We call on Meta (Facebook) to:

• Pay to replace the Morrises’ damaged well or connect their home to municipal water
• Compensate residents whose water systems were harmed by construction or water withdrawals
• Commit to full transparency about water usage at its Newton County facility
• Fund a community-led environmental impact review of its ongoing operations

If Meta can spend billions training AI models, it can afford to make things right for the people whose lives and health have been upended in the process. Clean, safe water is a basic right — and this community deserves justice.

Photo: Dustin Chambers/The New York Times