Officials in Wyoming discovered the presence of a rare and potentially harmful bacterium in wastewater discharged from a Meta datacenter under construction in Cheyenne, raising new concerns about environmental impacts of datacenters across the United States. The bacterium, Cupriavidus gilardii, was detected in approximately 801,000 gallons of water released by Goat Systems, a contractor working on the $800 million, 960-acre artificial intelligence (AI) datacenter campus. Although the wastewater was directed into the municipal sewer system and not the public drinking supply, city officials expressed worry about possible exposure to residents through evaporating water droplets.
Cheyenne’s board of public utilities, after receiving the initial test results, decided in July to halt acceptance of wastewater from the Meta contractor pending further investigation. Frank Strong, the city’s water resources manager, described the discovery as unexpected and emphasized the need for caution. Meta, however, disputed the city’s findings. The company stated that independent tests conducted by its contractor showed no evidence of the bacterium and questioned the reliability of the municipal testing. A Meta spokesperson reiterated the company’s commitment to protecting local water resources and underscored that the board’s own report confirmed no environmental or public health impact.
The situation in Wyoming illustrates a broader pattern of environmental scrutiny surrounding datacenters nationwide. These facilities require substantial water volumes for cooling and other operational processes—mid-sized datacenters can use up to 300,000 gallons daily. After use, wastewater is expelled under local pretreatment permits, sometimes containing contaminants such as heavy metals and per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), known as “forever chemicals” linked to health risks.
Similar concerns have emerged in other states. In Virginia, regulators have pursued enforcement actions for wastewater and wetland permit violations; in West Virginia, stormwater runoff from a partly constructed datacenter caused residential flooding; and in New York, opponents have challenged the discharge of heated water—up to 108°F (42°C)—from a gas-fired facility transitioning to AI operations into Lake Seneca. Environmental groups warn that such warm water disrupts local trout habitats and may contribute to harmful algal blooms harmful to humans and animals.
The Waterkeeper Alliance, a network of environmental organizations, reports that more than half of its chapters are addressing issues related to datacenters, with most efforts focused on potential pollutant releases into waterways. Legal challenges are underway, including a planned lawsuit by Flint Riverkeeper in Georgia accusing the QTS datacenter of discharging large quantities of sediment and metals into the Flint River over multiple years.
The transparency of datacenter wastewater practices has also come under scrutiny. Activists in Wisconsin are seeking greater disclosure regarding a Microsoft datacenter’s water use, while a previous attempt by The Dalles, Oregon, officials to prevent public access to water data related to a Google facility was met with litigation and later dropped.
The debate over datacenters’ environmental footprint has extended into political discourse. In Wyoming, Republican Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, an ally of former President Donald Trump, has called on Meta’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg for explanations regarding the wastewater contamination, highlighting the critical nature of water resources in the arid state. Meanwhile, former President Trump has defended datacenters, emphasizing their economic benefits and job creation, and criticizing efforts that he perceives as obstacles to their expansion.
As datacenter development accelerates across the country to support growing AI infrastructure, balancing technological advancement with environmental stewardship remains a contentious issue among communities, regulators, environmental groups, and industry stakeholders.