Homeowner Sues Amazon After Data Center Construction Allegedly Damages His House and Water

Austin Newsom says the quiet life he knew at his Louisa County, Virginia, home changed dramatically when construction began across the road.

Newsom lives on the property with his wife and also operates Central VA Marine, a boat repair and detailing business, there. Since Amazon began building its Northeast Creek Technology Campus nearby in 2025, he alleges that noise, dust, lights, heavy traffic and rumbling have all become the new norm.

Those complaints are now part of a federal lawsuit. A July 10 U.S. District Court written opinion says Newsom and his business allege the construction has also caused brown tap water, flooding near the property, and cracks in his home.

“Now it’s just chaos all the time,” Newsom said in an Aug. 7 interview with Realtor.com.

The Problems Reached His Sink And Foundation

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Amazon began construction on the campus in March 2025, according to the federal court opinion. One of the company’s properties is immediately adjacent to Newsom’s, and the broader project calls for 10 data center buildings, three substations, and other infrastructure, Virginia Mercury reports.

Newsom alleges his water began intermittently turning brown shortly after construction started. He said his well had functioned acceptably through years of drought without problems before the project, as reported by Virginia Mercury.

The lawsuit also alleges that excavation disrupted natural drainage and led to flooding in the roadway near his property. Newsom additionally claims rumbling from heavy machinery has cracked his house and that dust and debris negatively impacted the air quality around his home.

Newsom has also addressed noise pollution as a major complaint. The court opinion says Newsom alleges construction has been unusually loud, including during hours that are prohibited by the county’s noise ordinance.

Allegedly, lights continue to flash through the night.

He Says His Home and Business Are Paying the Price

Newsom had already built another home nearby and spent more than $80,000 renovating his current three-bedroom house to sell it. His real estate agent told Realtor.com the neighboring construction has made the property especially difficult to market.

The dispute is allegedly affecting his business, too. Central VA Marine operates from the same property, and Newsom alleges some customers have said they will stay away until construction ends.

Newsom and Central VA Marine filed a private-nuisance lawsuit in 2025. Amazon later moved the case to federal court and sought to have it dismissed, according to a July 10 written opinion from the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia.

U.S. District Judge Jasmine H. Yoon allowed the private-nuisance claim to continue, finding Newsom had alleged enough for the case to proceed. The decision does not determine that Amazon caused the alleged damage or is ultimately liable.

Amazon argued that the alleged noise, brown water, reduced air quality and light pollution were not substantial enough to support a nuisance claim.

Newsom wants to be able to live and work on his property without the disruption he says now surrounds it. As reported by Realtor.com, “I shouldn’t have to deal with something all day, every day.”