Acworth, GA Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Crypto Mining Rules (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 73-7.4.3(A)-(B)
- Fire suppression
- Active clean-agent system required
- Containment fire rating
- Resists fire 30 minutes minimum
- Max containment temp
- 120°F; no work entry above 90°F
- Winter heat dump cap
- 20% max released outside below 40°F
- Design requirement
- Georgia-licensed engineer
Summary
Acworth's Zoning Ordinance sets hard technical standards for cryptocurrency mining operations, server farms, and data centers: an active clean-agent fire suppression system, a 30-minute fire-rated metal containment structure, and a 120-degree Fahrenheit ceiling on containment-space temperature, with entry barred above 90 degrees. The rules sit in Section 73-7.4.3 alongside the use's Heavy Industrial-only siting limit.
A.Fire Safety Requirements.1.Fire Suppression. An active clean agent fire protection system shall be provided and maintained in good working order within any structure. High sensitivity smoke detectors shall be installed and operational in order to activate this clean agent fire suppression system. ... 3.Containment Space. The equipment used shall be housed in an individually metered, electrically grounded and metal-encased structure with a fire rating designed to resist an internal electrical fire for at least 30 minutes. ... B.Heat Safety Requirements.1.The ambient temperature inside of a containment space shall not exceed 120 degrees Fahrenheit at any time. No person shall be permitted to regularly inspect and work within the containment area if the ambient temperature within the containment area exceeds 90 degrees Fahrenheit.2.No more than 20% of the heat dissipated by the mining activity shall be released directly to the outside when the average daily temperature is less than 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 27).
Full Breakdown
3 defines a covered facility as one housing networked computer systems and telecommunications equipment for remote data storage, processing, or distribution, including facilities where commercial cryptocurrency transactions are verified and added to a public ledger through server farms. Subsection (A), Fire Safety Requirements, mandates an active clean agent fire protection system maintained in good working order, triggered by high-sensitivity smoke detectors; an emergency electricity termination switch mounted outside any containment structure; and a containment space that is individually metered, electrically grounded, metal-encased, and rated to resist an internal electrical fire for at least 30 minutes, with baffles that close automatically on a fire even if the electrical system fails.
All of that must be designed by a Georgia-licensed engineer. Subsection (B), Heat Safety Requirements, caps the ambient temperature inside a containment space at 120 degrees Fahrenheit at any time and bars anyone from regularly inspecting or working inside once the space passes 90 degrees. It also limits heat dissipation released directly outside to no more than 20 percent of the total when the average daily temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, a rule aimed at winter heat-dumping into surrounding properties. 11(D)(3), requiring Mayor and Board of Aldermen approval before any facility can be built.
Violations & Fines
Noncompliant fire suppression, containment construction, or heat controls at a data center or mining facility trigger the same Zoning Ordinance enforcement track as any other use violation: a Development Director notice of violation under Section 73-10.2.1, potential stop-work order or special-use-permit revocation under Section 73-10.2.2 through .3, civil penalties up to $1,000.00 per day, and criminal fines up to $1,000.00 or 60 days imprisonment under Section 73-10.2.4.
Frequently Asked Questions
What fire safety rules apply to a crypto mining facility in Acworth?
Is there a temperature limit inside a data center's equipment space?
Where in Acworth can a data center or mining operation locate?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Acworth
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