NEW ORLEANS — Hut 8 Corp. has announced an agreement with West Feliciana Parish to invest about $16 million to expand the parish’s water system as part of its planned River Bend AI data center campus.
The project includes construction of a new water well, about eight miles of water main and other system upgrades. The improvements are expected to be completed in the second half of 2026 and then will be transferred to the parish.
Parish officials say the upgrades are expected to increase system capacity and reliability, with the potential to serve more than 4,000 households and more than 200 businesses, based on U.S. Census Bureau data. The extent of the benefit for residents, however, will depend on how much of that added capacity is used by the data center versus remaining available for broader system needs.
Hut 8 – Water Project Impact and Scope
The Hut 8 River Bend campus is expected to have a significant economic impact in the Capital Region. Phase 1 represents a multibillion-dollar investment and is among the largest planned private infrastructure projects in the state. Construction is expected to employ about 1,000 workers at peak, with at least 75 permanent direct jobs and an estimated 193 indirect jobs once operations begin.
Hut 8 said the facility is being designed to limit strain on the local water system. The campus will use a closed-loop cooling system intended to reduce water use and will draw from sources outside the residential aquifer.
Water Infrastructure Model and Costs
The arrangement reflects a longstanding model in which private developers fund new utility infrastructure that is later integrated into public systems. While Hut 8 is covering the upfront construction costs, the parish would assume responsibility for operating and maintaining the system after the transfer. The approach has become more prominent in recent years as large data center and energy projects drive demand for expanded water and power infrastructure.
The project comes as Louisiana faces mounting pressure to modernize aging water infrastructure. The state’s $750 million Water Sector Program, launched in 2021, was created to help repair failing water and sewer systems after officials warned many were nearing failure and unable to meet long-term demand. Large industrial projects increasingly include privately funded utility expansions, though in smaller systems they can also become significant long-term users of that capacity.
The investment also highlights a growing challenge for Louisiana policymakers: expanding water and power infrastructure fast enough to support major industrial and AI-related developments while addressing longstanding problems in existing community systems.
“We build infrastructure for communities, not just for ourselves,” said Asher Genoot, chief executive officer of Hut 8. “At River Bend, that means strengthening the water system the parish depends on rather than straining it.”
West Feliciana Parish President Kenny Havard said the project addresses infrastructure needs without increasing costs for residents.
“This is a real investment in the infrastructure our parish needs,” Havard said. “It will strengthen our water system and expand service in areas that need it most without adding cost for our residents.”
Hut 8 – Broader Platform
The River Bend campus is part of Hut 8’s broader North American energy and digital infrastructure platform, developed in partnership with public- and private-sector stakeholders.
The company has secured approximately $16.8 billion in contracted revenue through long-term leases across two hyperscale AI campuses, including the River Bend project in West Feliciana Parish and the Beacon Point campus in Texas, which is being developed within the ERCOT power market.
Hut 8’s development pipeline totals more than 8,000 megawatts of potential capacity across North America, with projects and power assets tied to major U.S. energy markets and select Canadian operations.
