Officials in Wyoming test wastewater being discharged from a large, under-construction Meta data center and find results they describe as concerning, including the presence of a rare potentially hazardous bacterium in a large volume of water. The reports say the water is routed to sewers and is not intended for the public drinking supply, but the findings are still raising alarm among regulators and local observers.
According to the outlets, the bacterium—Cupriavidus gilardii—was detected in 801,000 gallons of wastewater that a contractor discharged earlier this year in the Cheyenne area. The reporting frames this as part of broader scrutiny of datacenters, where alleged or documented violations and other pollution concerns have drawn public backlash. The two sources presented largely overlapping accounts of the Wyoming case, without adding substantially different details, while emphasizing the same pattern of scrutiny over wastewater impacts and potential risks from contaminants.
Overall, the story centers on wastewater testing at a specific datacenter project and the implications of rare biological findings alongside wider concerns about environmental compliance at large infrastructure sites.
