Residents Sue Microsoft Over Noise From New Mount Pleasant Data Center

A Microsoft data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin appears in a June 2026 photo. Photo courtesy of Microsoft

A group of residents are suing Microsoft over complaints of noise coming from its new data center facility in Mount Pleasant.

The class action lawsuit was filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin by three residents of Sturtevant who live near the data center.

“Through its operation and maintenance of the Data Center, Defendant hasemitted, and continues to emit, unreasonable and excessive noise onto Plaintiffs’ properties, thereby causing property damages through private nuisance and negligence,” the lawsuit said.

Last week, Microsoft announced the data center facility, known as “Fairwater,” is now operational. It’s the first of a series of buildings the company is planning for the Mount Pleasant campus.

The lawsuit alleges the data center, “generates significant noise pollution from diesel generators and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, including chillers, cooling towers, air-handling units, and condenser fans.”

The lawsuit said the noise is, “not only excessive, but consistent and pervasive.”

“Although some of the Data Center’s operations generate significant dBA levels from the backup generators, much of the ‘low hum’ noise is low-frequency infrasound that is not detected and reflected in dBA measurements,” according to the lawsuit.

A Microsoft spokesperson said the company is aware of the lawsuit.

“Microsoft is committed to being a good neighbor in the communities where we build, own, and operate our datacenters,” the spokesperson wrote in a statement.

A Microsoft data center in Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin appears in a June 2026 photo. Photo courtesy of Microsoft

An April 15 update on Microsoft’s website said people who live to the north of the facility, “have noticed a tonal humming sound.”

“Although the facility noise levels meet the requirements set by local ordinance, we take this feedback seriously and understand the impact this has had on our neighbors,” the webpage said.

Microsoft said the noise was coming from the cooling fans operating at the facility.

A June 18 update on the website said, “Our engineering team and consultants on-site investigated the source of the sound, conducted tests, and put noise mitigations in place.”

“The Village has received no formal complaints relating to Microsoft’s properties since the company completed the adjustments that were announced in mid-April to resolve a humming sound from the data center,” Sean Ryan, spokesperson for the village of Mount Pleasant, said in a Thursday afternoon statement. “Village officials stand ready to respond if people do reach out to us, and will continue to ensure Microsoft is a good corporate citizen and a good neighbor.

Construction at the Microsoft data center project site in Mount Pleasant is seen here on July 2, 2026. Evan Casey/WPR

Nearby residents raise other concerns

Some residents who live near the now open data center and the construction site for the next phases have complained about construction noise and dust, light pollution, traffic and a changing rural landscape.

Larry Neumiller has lived at his home across the street from the construction site for the third phase of the project for nearly 40 years. Recently, he said the sound of dump trucks next to his property has been a constant.

“If you come out here at night, they have got lights out here, I mean, they’re just super lights that even my blinds in the windows can’t keep out,” Neumiller said.

Neumiller also complained about the dust from the construction work.

“There’s some times I’ll be coming from Sturtevant, and I can’t see my house because the dust is blowing across the roads,” he said.

Construction work is also allowed between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., according to the Microsoft webpage.

Brian Schue moved from Oak Creek to Sturtevant a few years ago.

“I moved out here to be in the country, more so than the city environment,” Schue said.

He lives around a mile from the recently completed data center. Now, he’s looking to move again.

“We moved here, and then they said the data center was coming aboard,” Schue said. “We’re like, okay, yeah, what’s the big deal? Well, how big it was kind of shocked everybody, and then the noise started.”

Schue also complained about dust from the construction site. He called it a “dust bowl.”

“I just washed my truck, and it’s completely dusty again,” he said.

Construction is ongoing at the second Microsoft data center in Mount Pleasant. Evan Casey/WPR

Roger Johansen of Somers lives across the street from the “Fairwater” data center.

“It’s a big change from looking at a farm, you know,” Johansen said.

“It was so dark out there, you could see all the stars, and now you have a hard time seeing the stars with all the light,” he added.

In an email, a Microsoft spokesperson said, “We continue to work with the General Contractor to mitigate issues and minimize any construction impacts on neighboring communities.”

A news post from Microsoft said almost 10,000 construction workers have worked on the development.

“Currently, there are nearly 550 full-time employees on-site supporting this first facility,” the news post said. “Microsoft and its contractors are actively hiring and expect this number will continue to grow over time.”

Mount Pleasant Village President David DeGroot praised the opening of the data center.

“This is a historic milestone for Mount Pleasant and all of Racine County as we become home to one of the most advanced technology campuses in the world,” DeGroot said in the news post.

Regarding dust, a Microsoft project update webpage said, “street sweepers will operate for approximately 10 hours per day.”

“Tire wash systems are also in place at site exits to help keep surrounding roadways clean,” the webpage said.

Microsoft sued over noise complaints at new Mount Pleasant data center facility was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.