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Other·P Space·Model-prefilled problem·Published 2026-07-20

Wyoming tightens wastewater rules after Meta datacenter contractor flushed contaminated water

Officials in Wyoming said a contractor for Mark Zuckerberg’s tech company, Meta, flushed bacteria-contaminated water into public sewers during construction of a controversial new AI datacenter. The incident prompted water authorities in Cheyenne to implement strict safety regulations on how wastewater from such projects is disposed of, according to the Wyoming Tribune Eagle, which first reported the incident. Meta has ordered its general contractor, Fortis, to cooperate with the Cheyenne board of public utilitie…

TRV-2026-0333JournalismPermanent record — cite & verify
Wyoming tightens wastewater rules after Meta datacenter contractor flushed contaminated water

Publisher image: The Guardian.

The quick read

In February 2026, routine testing detected Cupriavidus gilardii bacteria in wastewater being flushed into Cheyenne's public sewers from the construction site of Meta's 800,000 sq ft AI datacenter, Project Cosmo, in the High Plains Business Park. City officials identified contractor Goat Systems LLC as responsible, permanently revoked Meta's authority to discharge into the city's treatment facilities that recycle water for park irrigation, and adopted a new ban on discharges from datacenters using closed loop and fill and flush systems.

The case matters because it shows how AI infrastructure expansion creates direct public-health and water-management consequences for host communities, beyond abstract resource use. Cheyenne's reuse system aerosolizes treated water for irrigation, raising concern even for an opportunistic pathogen. What remains uncertain is when the bacterium entered the system, why city and contractor testing diverged, and whether offsite hauling and tank storage will prevent future incidents as more datacenters are built.

Main points
  • Routine testing in February 2026 found Cupriavidus gilardii in wastewater discharged from cooling system of 800,000 sq ft Project Cosmo AI datacenter in High Plains Business Park, Cheyenne.
  • City identified contractor Goat Systems LLC as responsible and permanently revoked Meta's authority to discharge waste into Cheyenne's water treatment facilities.
  • Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities adopted new policy prohibiting wastewater discharges from datacenters using closed loop cooling systems and fill and flush systems.
  • Meta said general contractor Fortis immediately stopped discharging industrial wastewater and began hauling it offsite and that independent testing found no trace of the substance.
Problem

A contractor building Meta's AI datacenter in Cheyenne discharged water contaminated with Cupriavidus gilardii into public sewers, leading the city to revoke discharge permission and ban closed-loop datacenter wastewater discharges.

The rundown

The contamination was discovered in February during routine fecal bacteria testing of wastewater from the cooling system at the 800,000 sq ft Project Cosmo campus in High Plains Business Park. Officials named Goat Systems LLC, a Delaware-based contractor, as responsible. The city said its reuse system sprays treated water onto grass in parks, which increases potential for health issues from aerosol exposure.

In response, Cheyenne permanently revoked Meta's discharge authority and adopted a policy requiring companies using closed loop cooling systems to build separate collection systems that direct water into storage tanks and offsite disposal. Meta said Fortis stopped discharging and began hauling wastewater offsite, and that its own testing by an independent environmental specialist found no trace of the substance. The incident occurred amid broader pushback to datacenters that can consume up to 300,000 gallons of water per day.

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