Cheyenne BOPU traces rare bacteria discharge to Meta data center contractor
A contractor for Meta's data center in Cheyenne, Goat Systems LLC, was identified as the source of a rare bacteria, Cupriavidus gilardii, discharged into the city's wastewater system. In response, the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) temporarily suspended reclaimed water irrigation, terminated Meta's discharge privileges, and adopted new policies restricting data center wastewater discharges from certain cooling systems. The incident did not affect drinking water, but some bacteria entered Crow Creek.
The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) identified Goat Systems LLC, a contractor working on Meta's data center campus in the High Plains Business Park, as the source of Cupriavidus gilardii bacteria found in the city's wastewater treatment system during routine testing in February.
Following the discovery, BOPU temporarily halted Cheyenne's reclaimed water irrigation program, permanently revoked Meta's wastewater discharge privileges, and enacted a new policy. This policy now prohibits wastewater discharges from data centers utilizing closed-loop cooling and fill-and-flush systems, which are used to clean construction debris from pipes. A Meta spokesperson stated that their general contractor, Fortis, immediately ceased industrial wastewater discharges and began hauling it offsite, also initiating independent water testing. Betsey Hale, CEO of Cheyenne LEADS, emphasized that the incident occurred during the construction phase and involved naturally occurring bacteria, not the operational data center.
BOPU's Frank Strong confirmed the bacteria's presence in water discharged by Goat Systems, though the bacteria's origin remains unknown. While the incident did not affect Cheyenne's public drinking water, some bacteria entered Crow Creek, though officials believe the public health risk is low due to the bacteria's natural occurrence. Strong noted that closed-loop systems can contain chemicals that municipal wastewater plants are not designed to process. BOPU now mandates separate collection systems for these industrial waters. Both city wastewater treatment plants have since tested negative for the bacteria, and reclaimed water irrigation has resumed, with BOPU continuing monitoring efforts and implementing the new discharge restrictions.