The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities has traced a rare bacterium found in reclaimed irrigation water to wastewater discharged during construction of a large data center project funded by Meta, officials said.
Contamination discovered in routine testing
Officials detected Cupriavidus gilardii in routine sampling of the city’s reclaimed water system in February. After months of follow-up testing and review, the board concluded the organism originated with Fortis Construction, which is building a 715,000-square-foot data center for Meta on a project known locally as "Project Cosmo."
"Meta is committed to being a good neighbor in Cheyenne, including through the protection of local water resources, and will continue encouraging collaboration between Fortis and the board until this situation is resolved," Meta spokesperson Francis Brennan said in a statement.
Utility response and public assurances
The utilities board moved to tighten safety requirements for certain types of data center construction, imposing new restrictions that prohibit wastewater discharge from affected facilities. Fortis stopped discharging wastewater after being notified of the contamination, according to Meta and city statements.
- Public safety: City leaders said Cheyenne’s drinking water supply was not affected.
- Operational changes: Meta and its contractor halted discharges tied to the finding.
- Regulatory action: The Board of Public Utilities adopted stricter wastewater rules for some data centers.
Why it matters for Wyoming
The incident highlights concerns about the environmental footprint of data centers as the industry expands. Nationwide, there are roughly 4,500 data centers, including about 31 in Wyoming, according to Data Center Map. Those facilities can increase local demand for water and energy as companies deploy computing power for artificial intelligence and other services.
Meta has said the Wyoming facility, part of an investment the company disclosed in 2024, is expected to support more than 100 jobs when completed and involved commitments around energy and water projects. The company previously indicated goals to invest in the energy grid and support local water restoration efforts, including an aim to restore more water than it consumes by 2030.
| Item | Reported detail |
|---|---|
| Contaminant | Cupriavidus gilardii |
| Project | "Project Cosmo" — Meta data center |
| Facility size | 715,000 sq. ft. |
| Wyoming data centers (approx.) | 31 |
Cupriavidus gilardii occurs naturally in soil and groundwater and infections are considered extremely rare. Medical literature notes the bacterium can cause serious illness in unusual circumstances, but local officials emphasized no impacts to Cheyenne’s treated drinking water have been identified.
The episode may influence how local regulators condition permits and monitor large tech projects, particularly as Wyoming courts and communities weigh the economic benefits of data center investments against infrastructure and environmental risks.
Moving forward, the Board of Public Utilities and Meta say they will continue to coordinate on corrective steps and safeguards while the construction project proceeds. Fortis halted the wastewater discharges after being alerted, according to the companies and the city.
As Wyoming continues to attract data center investment, officials and residents will watch for how this case shapes oversight of wastewater handling, the protection of reclaimed water systems and commitments from companies to limit impacts on local resources.
