El Reno Bitcoin Mine Billed After Four Million Gallon Water Leak
El Reno, Oklahoma is reeling after a massive water leak at a Bitcoin mining facility wasted nearly four million gallons of the city's supply. The incident has left residents worried about who will foot the bill for the lost water and potential overtime labor costs.
The leak occurred at Athlon Blockchain LLC's data center on Jensen Road, which is zoned for moderate industrial use. City officials confirmed that a private fire-suppression line installed by the property owner was the source of the leak.
El Reno Interim City Manager Ken Brown said the company continued operations despite a 2023 stop-work order due to expired permits and multiple fire and life safety code violations.
The city has condemned the property and declared it a public nuisance, but Athlon Blockchain hasn't issued any public statement about the incident or its plans for addressing the issues. The company's website is currently offline 'while we perform scheduled maintenance.'