Cheyenne water bacterium traced to Meta AI data center

A rare bacterium discovered in the municipal wastewater system of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been traced to construction activity at Meta's upcoming artificial intelligence data center campus, prompting a months-long investigation and new restrictions on industrial wastewater. City officials confirmed the public drinking water supply was never affected, but the incident led to a temporary shutdown of the city's reclaimed water irrigation program and has resulted in permanent changes to how such projects can dispose of certain wastewater.

The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities first detected the bacterium, Cupriavidus gilardii, during a routine wastewater sampling in late February. After an extensive investigation, officials identified the source as Goat Systems LLC, a contractor working on Meta's Project Cosmo campus. The contamination occurred when the contractor discharged "fill-and-flush" water, used to clean and prepare the data center's cooling system pipes, into the city's sanitary sewer system.

Frank Strong, the utility board's engineering and water resources division manager, said the board acted swiftly once the source was confirmed. He stated that the contractor was shut...