Cheyenne BOPU Identifies Data Center as Wastewater Polluter, Pauses Discharges for Other Facilities
The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) identified Goat Systems, a data center company, as the industrial user responsible for contaminating the city's wastewater reclamation network. As a result, Goat Systems' sewer privileges were permanently terminated, and the company faces substantial fines for cleanup costs. The city is also temporarily suspending the acceptance of industrial discharges from all data centers connected to city services.
The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) has identified Goat Systems, a data center company developing an 800,000-square-foot campus in Cheyenne, as the source of a systemwide contamination of the city's wastewater reclamation network. The contamination, caused by Cupriavidus gilardii bacteria, led to a delay in activating the city's wastewater reuse system for the year.
City sanitation experts traced the contamination to Goat Systems, whose discharge privileges were immediately and permanently terminated on March 24. The BOPU stated that the company will face significant fines to cover labor, materials, and chemical costs incurred during the cleanup. Erin Lamb, BOPU administrative and public affairs coordinator, confirmed that the termination of sewer privileges for Goat Systems is permanent.
The city has also announced that it will temporarily suspend the acceptance of industrial discharges associated with data center fill-and-flush and closed-loop system operations from all Cheyenne data center developments currently connected to city services. This measure is in place until further notice, ensuring the continued protection and integrity of the wastewater treatment system.