A Wyoming city found a rare bacterium in wastewater tied to a Meta data center

Officials in Cheyenne, Wyoming, have raised alarms regarding contamination in the city's recycled water system, attributing the issue to a large Meta data center currently under construction south of the city. The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities reported that wastewater discharged by Goat Systems, a contractor for Meta, introduced a rare bacterium into the local wastewater treatment facility. This facility is crucial for the city’s reuse water system, primarily utilized for irrigation of parks and golf courses. City officials confirmed that the bacterium did not infiltrate the drinking water supply. Erin Lamb, a spokesperson for the Board of Public Utilities, explained that through sampling, they established a connection between the contamination and the Meta Data Center's fill-and-flush discharge system, which is designed to cool data centers by cycling water in and out of pipes. Unlike some data centers that employ a closed-loop system to recycle water internally, this method has proven problematic. The Board classified this incident as a case of "significant noncompliance," leading to the revocation of Goat Systems' privileges for industrial discharge related to fill-and-flush operations. While the public notice was issued on July 2, operations had already been halted on March 24 after the contractor was informed about the contamination. A Meta representative indicated that the company is collaborating with Fortis, the general contractor, to address the situation. They confirmed that following the discovery, Fortis immediately ceased wastewater discharges and began transporting it off-site. Independent environmental testing has reportedly shown no traces of the bacterium since then. The bacterium identified in the wastewater is Cupriavidus gilardii. Though infections are uncommon, exposure may pose risks to vulnerable populations, such as the elderly or immunocompromised individuals. The contamination was discovered during a routine sampling in February, prompting extensive remediation efforts by BOPU, including draining and sanitizing the entire reuse water system. In light of this incident, the Board announced a temporary halt on accepting any industrial water discharge from data centers, irrespective of the system used. A press conference regarding the matter is expected to be held by the Board soon. Meta's new data center, a project valued at $800 million and spanning 715,000 square feet, is designed to support AI workloads and contribute to community growth. The company has committed to achieving water positivity by 2030, aiming to restore more water than it consumes. However, the development of data centers has sparked controversy, with many local residents and activists voicing concerns over their environmental impact, including potential harm to water resources and quality of life. Despite the pushback from residents and some lawmakers advocating for restrictions on data center constructions, the industry continues to expand rapidly. By the end of 2025, over 1,400 data centers are projected to be either built or approved across various states, further intensifying the debate surrounding their proliferation.