As data centers flood Wyoming, water pollution fouls good faith
A Meta data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was identified as the source of a dangerous bacterium contaminating the city's recycled water system, prompting a termination of its discharge privileges. This incident has intensified existing concerns among residents and officials regarding the environmental impact, particularly water and energy consumption, of numerous planned and existing data centers across the state, including projects by Microsoft and Prometheus Hyperscale. Residents express worry that rural communities lack adequate regulations for these large-scale facilities.
A Meta data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, has been identified as the source of Cupriavidus gilardii, a dangerous bacterium that contaminated the city's recycled water system. The pollution forced Cheyenne to stop using recycled water for irrigation and switch to drinking water, prompting significant remediation efforts. The city utility office "immediately and permanently terminated" discharge privileges for the industrial user, later identified as a contractor for Meta.
This incident has fueled anxieties among Wyoming residents and politicians, including U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, who demanded answers from Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Residents are increasingly concerned about the environmental strain, especially on water and energy resources, posed by more than two dozen data centers in various stages of development across the state. Critics like Kathryn Stevens, a resident near Wheatland, argue that tech companies exploit rural areas lacking sufficient regulations for these facilities.
Despite developers' assurances of water-friendly closed-loop cooling systems and economic benefits, the Cheyenne contamination highlights potential risks in semi-arid Wyoming, where water is already scarce. Microsoft plans to acquire over 3,000 acres south of Cheyenne for expansion, while Prometheus Hyperscale is collaborating with Evanston and Uinta County on "Project Torch," a 4,100-acre data center with 1.2 gigawatts of power capacity. These projects are proceeding amid ongoing debates over zoning changes and regulatory oversight for data center development.