What Happened in Dewitt, Iowa Should Terrify You!

Dewitt, Iowa population 5,300 seemed like a strange place for a Meta data center. But in 2018, the tech giant announced plans for a massive facility just outside town, promising jobs and tax revenue. Sound familiar? Five years later, Dewitt residents are living with realities that NorthStar Computing isn't mentioning in their glossy presentations to our county board.

The Water Crisis

Dewitt's data center uses up to 1.4 million gallons of water per day during peak cooling periods. By 2022, residential wells in the area began running dry during summer months. The city had to drill two new municipal wells and extend water lines to affected homes—costs that residents are still paying off through increased water bills.

The Broken Promises

Meta promised 100 permanent jobs. The actual number: 32, and most went to workers who relocated from other states, not locals. Construction jobs lasted 18 months, then disappeared.

The Property Impact

Homes within a mile of the facility have lost 15-20% of their value according to local realtors. The diesel generators run for testing every week, and the low-frequency hum from cooling systems is audible 24/7 within half a mile.

The Tax Reality

Meta negotiated a property tax abatement that saved them $39 million over seven years. The county received far less tax revenue than projected, leading to cuts in school funding and road maintenance.

Why This Matters for Maplewood

NorthStar is using the exact same playbook Meta used in Dewitt: promise jobs, downplay environmental impact, secure tax breaks, then build the facility and move on. The difference is that Dewitt residents didn't know what to ask until it was too late.

We do.

We've learned from their experience. And we're not making the same mistake.

Want to hear directly from Dewitt residents? We're hosting a Zoom call with community members from Iowa on December 18th—details coming soon.