‘An unrelenting hum’: EPA receives noise complaints about Dublin data centre

The Environmental Protection Agency is currently investigating noise complaints originating from a new data centre in Clondalkin, west Dublin. The operator of the Echelon DUB10 data centre claims it has implemented mitigation measures and is continuing to investigate the issue. Complaints first emerged in late July when residents living near the data centre began hearing a persistent humming noise, primarily at night but also during the day.

Aaron Jeffrey, a resident about 2.5 kilometres from the data centre, said he initially thought the noise was from his home but later realized it was originating from the data centre. The low-frequency hum is so intrusive that it penetrates through any material, making it difficult, if not impossible, to block out. Residents have resorted to using earplugs and altering their living arrangements to mitigate the noise.

Echelon Data Centres stated that after receiving complaints, they commissioned external acoustic consultants and removed a generator used by contractors out of hours. However, noise complaints persisted, and the company is currently conducting a new investigation on the site, which is still under construction and not yet fully operational.

The company expects to have a preliminary analysis of a noise recording before the end of the week, which will be compared against onsite data gathered by the company. Echelon Data Centres emphasizes its commitment to environmental and community responsibilities. This issue follows a data centre awareness campaign in Kildare County, where a community group expressed concerns about the rapid proliferation of data centres in the area and called for greater transparency and control over the region's development.