A rare bacterium discovered in Cheyenne, Wyoming’s reclaimed water system has been traced to wastewater discharged during the construction of Meta’s $800 million data center, prompting local officials to tighten wastewater regulations and permanently revoke the contractor’s discharge privileges.
The bacterium, identified as Cupriavidus gilardii, was first detected during routine water quality testing in February. After several months of investigation, the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) determined that the source was wastewater released during “fill-and-flush” operations carried out by Goat Systems, a contractor working on Meta’s AI data center project, known as Project Cosmo. The cooling system commissioning process involves flushing newly installed pipes to remove debris before the system enters service.
The facility under construction spans approximately 715,000 square feet and was announced by Meta in 2024 as an AI-focused data center expected to support more than 1,000 construction jobs at its peak.
Officials emphasized that the contamination did not enter Cheyenne’s drinking water supply. Instead, it affected the city’s reclaimed water network, which treats wastewater for irrigation of parks, public green spaces, and other non-potable uses.
Although Cupriavidus gilardii is naturally found in soil and groundwater, it is considered an opportunistic pathogen that can cause severe infections in people with weakened immune systems. Medical experts note that documented human infections are extremely rare, but the bacterium can spread through aerosolized water droplets, raising concerns because the reclaimed water is sprayed during irrigation.
Following the discovery, the Board of Public Utilities shut down its reclaimed water system shortly after the seasonal irrigation program began. Officials drained and disinfected the reuse water network, cleaned Prairie View Pond, and temporarily switched affected irrigation systems to potable water while remediation was underway.
The cleanup took approximately two months before reclaimed water service resumed on June 29 after testing showed only minimal residual traces of the bacterium.
The Board classified the incident as a significant wastewater compliance violation. It permanently revoked Goat Systems’ authority to discharge industrial wastewater into the city’s sewer system. It suspended wastewater discharges from fill-and-flush and closed-loop cooling operations at data centers.
Under the new policy, wastewater generated during these operations must instead be collected and transported for off-site disposal rather than released into Cheyenne’s municipal sewer network.
Meta said its general contractor, Fortis, immediately stopped discharging wastewater after city officials notified the company about the contamination. The company added that independent environmental testing conducted on-site did not detect the bacterium and reiterated that Cheyenne’s drinking water was never affected.
Meta said it will continue working with city officials to resolve the matter and remains committed to protecting local water resources.
The incident has renewed attention on the environmental impact of large AI data centers, particularly their water use and wastewater management. Local officials and environmental groups say the case highlights the need for stricter oversight of industrial wastewater generated during data center construction and operation, especially as AI infrastructure continues to expand across the United States.
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