Meta’s Massive Wyoming AI Data Center Contaminates Cheyenne’s Wastewater Treatment System with Rare Bacteria
A contractor for Meta's Cheyenne, Wyoming data center, Goat Systems LLC, contaminated the city's municipal wastewater system with a rare bacterium. This led the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities to suspend all industrial wastewater acceptance from data center operations. City officials expressed disappointment, and Meta is supporting its general contractor, Fortis, in resolving the issue.
The city of Cheyenne, Wyoming, has suspended accepting industrial wastewater from all data center operations after a contractor for Meta's local data center contaminated the municipal wastewater system with a rare bacterium. Goat Systems LLC, the corporate entity constructing Meta's Cheyenne data center, was found in "significant noncompliance" with city regulations, discharging wastewater containing Cupriavidus gilardii. This bacterium disrupted the city's water reclamation facilities and contaminated the municipal reuse water system, though not the drinking water supply.
The contamination, originating from Meta's $800 million Project Cosmo campus in south Cheyenne, was discovered in February during routine fill-and-flush operations of the data center's cooling systems. Following notification, Goat Systems immediately ceased discharging the contaminated water, and the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities revoked its industrial discharge privileges.
Cheyenne City Councilman Pete Laybourn and Mayor Patrick Collins expressed disappointment regarding the incident. A Meta spokesperson affirmed Meta's support for its general contractor, Fortis, in resolving the issue, noting Fortis stopped discharging industrial wastewater and began independent testing, which reportedly found no trace of the substance. Meta reiterated its commitment to being a good neighbor in Cheyenne and protecting local water resources.