04/24/2026
Florida is giving its residents one day per week to water their lawns — while approving data centers that drink millions of gallons daily.Southwest Florida Water Management District just declared a Modified Phase III Extreme Water Shortage, effective April 3 through July 1, 2026. Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Manatee, Sarasota — the counties I drive through every week — are all under the restriction. We are already sitting on a 13.7-inch regional rainfall deficit.And yet, six-plus hyperscale AI data centers are proposed across the state right now.A single large data center can consume between 1 million and 5 million gallons of water per day. That is the daily water use of up to 60,000 homes — gone, every 24 hours. Florida's aquifer already supplies nearly 90% of the state's drinking water and it is already dropping from overuse.Here is the part nobody is talking about loudly enough: groundwater withdrawal is a primary trigger for sinkholes. Florida has over 27,000 verified sinkholes since the 1950s — the worst clusters concentrated right here in Pasco, Hernando, and Hillsborough counties. When aquifer levels fall, the limestone beneath our homes loses its structural support. Insurance sinkhole claims hit record highs in 2025.I am not anti-technology. I am pro-honesty about tradeoffs.Tampa is sitting at the center of this — water restrictions, sinkhole alley, and a data center buildout that treats our aquifer like an unlimited resource.Should Florida pause new data center permits until there is a credible water sustainability plan in place?