Conway, AR Data Centers & Crypto Mining: Data Center Noise Limits (2026)

Chapter 7.46, External Noise Attenuation of Data Centers, adopted by Ord. No. O-23-55 on July 25, 2023, applies to every data center built or operated within Conway's municipal limits, including cryptocurrency-mining facilities, under § 7.46.01. Before construction, § 7.46.03(A) requires the owner and operator to mail notice to every resident and homeowners' association within a half-mile radius, file proof with the City Clerk within thirty days, and notify the Mayor of the project location. The owner must also commission a third-party acoustic engineer's baseline sound study measured at eight compass-point locations on the property line, and a third-party architectural or design firm must produce a building plan with noise-attenuation measures, such as soundproofing walls, buffer yards or full screening of mechanical equipment including HVAC and cooling systems.

The core numeric limit sits in § 7.46.05: sound measured at the receiving property's line may not reach sixty-five (65) dBA between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., or fifty-five (55) dBA between 10:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m. Before operations can begin, § 7.46.03(D) requires a post-construction noise study with equipment running at full capacity, filed with the Mayor and City Clerk, and the data center cannot start up until that study shows compliance; annual re-testing is required afterward. Section 7.46.04 fixes the measurement method, including four-foot meter placement, calibration before each test, and a ban on outdoor readings when wind exceeds fifteen miles per hour.