Christine Drews Sieger
A rare bacterium discovered in wastewater has put Meta’s AI data center project in Wyoming under increased scrutiny.
A construction project for Meta’s upcoming AI data center in Cheyenne, Wyoming, has come under increased scrutiny after a rare bacterium was found in wastewater linked to the construction work.
According to the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities, cited by the Daily Mail, the discovery has resulted in the company no longer being permitted to discharge wastewater from parts of the construction site into the city’s wastewater treatment plant.
Authorities say the public drinking water supply has not been affected. However, efforts to trace the source of the contamination and clean the recycled water system have been ongoing for some time.
Meta says its contractor, Fortis, immediately stopped discharging wastewater after being notified of the discovery by local authorities. The company also says its own tests, conducted by an independent environmental specialist, found no trace of the bacterium.
Authorities intervened
During a routine wastewater inspection in late February, authorities first detected the bacterium Cupriavidus gilardii.
After several months of investigation, officials identified the construction site as the source of the discharge.
According to the utility company, the discharge occurred during testing and commissioning of the data center’s cooling system, during which the piping is flushed before being put into operation.
A Meta spokesperson told the Daily Mail: “When the board shared that it found a substance in the city’s wastewater—not public drinking water—Fortis immediately stopped discharging industrial wastewater and began hauling it offsite.”
The spokesperson added: “Fortis also began its own water testing with an independent environmental specialist, which found no trace of the substance.”
Rare bacterium
According to the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU), it remains unclear where the bacterium originated. The water used during construction had been purchased from the city’s utility company, and the investigation has not yet determined the exact source.
According to the Daily Mail, citing Cowboy State Daily, city council member Pete Laybourn described the situation as “a very, very unpleasant surprise.” He added: “It’s about the last thing we need right now. But it’s a reality we’re going to have to work through.”
A study published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases in March 2026 describes Cupriavidus infections as extremely rare, according to the Daily Mail.
The review examined 32 known cases from various countries and found that severe infections occurred almost exclusively in patients with weakened immune systems. At the same time, the case has once again drawn attention to the environmental challenges associated with the construction of large AI data centers.
Sources: Daily Mail, Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities (BOPU), Cowboy State Daily, International Journal of Infectious Diseases
