Wyoming tightens wastewater rules after Meta datacenter contractor flushed contaminated water
Summary
A contractor working for Meta flushed water contaminated with a rare bacteria into public sewers during construction of a new AI datacenter in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The city responded by tightening rules on wastewater disposal and stopped Meta from discharging waste into its water treatment system.Key Facts
- Meta’s contractor, Fortis, flushed water containing Cupriavidus gilardii bacteria into public sewers during the datacenter build.
- The bacteria is rare, naturally found in soil, and mainly harmful to people with weak immune systems.
- The contamination was found in routine testing of wastewater from the datacenter’s cooling system.
- Cheyenne banned wastewater discharges from datacenters using certain cooling and flushing systems.
- The city revoked Meta’s permission to send wastewater to its water treatment plants, where water is reused for irrigation.
- Meta ordered Fortis to stop discharging wastewater and to cooperate fully with city officials.
- Independent tests by Fortis showed no bacteria in drinking water or on-site after the incident.
- The new rules aim to prevent health risks and protect local water resources during datacenter construction.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
