The City of Aurora regulates industrial noise through the Unified Development Ordinance operating standards (UDO Section 146-4.11.2) and the general noise ordinance (Section 94-107). Industrial and auto repair uses must be operated so that ground vibrations, air emissions, and noise are not perceptible at property boundaries without instruments. The city recently amended noise limits for data centers, capping daytime noise at 56 decibels and nighttime noise at 46 decibels.
Aurora's industrial noise standards operate through two primary regulatory frameworks. The UDO Section 146-4.11.2 (Operating Standards) requires that every industrial use, auto repair use, or associated activity be operated so that ground vibrations, negative impacts to water quality, air/particulate emissions, or odors are not perceptible at any point on any property boundary line without the use of instruments. This effectively requires industrial operations to contain their noise within their own property boundaries. The general noise ordinance (Section 94-107) prohibits unnecessary noise that disturbs the peace and addresses noise from various sources. In response to the rapid growth of data centers in the Aurora area, the City Council amended its noise ordinance in 2025 to impose specific decibel limits on data center operations: 56 dBA maximum during daytime hours and 46 dBA maximum during nighttime hours at the property line. Standard industrial noise complaints are handled through code enforcement and the police department. The Illinois EPA also enforces state noise regulations under Title 35, Subtitle H of the Illinois Administrative Code.
Industrial operations generating noise perceptible at property boundaries may face code enforcement citations and orders to mitigate. Data centers exceeding the specific decibel limits face fines and required compliance measures.
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