US datacenters face further backlash over wastewater pollution
Summary
Officials in Wyoming found a rare and possibly harmful bacterium in wastewater from a Meta datacenter under construction. This has raised concerns about water pollution from datacenters, which use large amounts of water and sometimes release harmful substances back into the environment.Key Facts
- A Wyoming test found Cupriavidus gilardii bacteria in 801,000 gallons of wastewater from a Meta datacenter contractor.
- The wastewater was discharged into sewers, not the public drinking water, but officials worried about exposure through evaporation.
- Cheyenne city officials stopped accepting wastewater from Meta’s contractor in July, a decision now being appealed.
- Meta said independent tests found no bacteria and questioned the city’s test results.
- Similar environmental concerns around datacenters have appeared in Virginia, West Virginia, and New York.
- The Waterkeeper Alliance reports many groups are focusing on datacenter wastewater pollution, including chemicals like PFAS and heavy metals.
- Datacenters use large amounts of water mainly for cooling powerful computers, then release water back to the system under permit controls.
- Lawsuits are possible, such as one planned by Flint Riverkeeper against a Georgia datacenter for polluting a river.
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