Wyoming House Representative Harriet Hageman had a productive call with Meta regarding the contamination of Cheyenne’s wastewater reclamation system. A contractor for Meta’s data center accidentally leaked a rare bacteria, Cupriavidus gilardii, into the system.
Contamination and Remediation
The city of Cheyenne had to delay its opening for the 2026 season by two months due to the contamination. Hageman requested that Meta release all information about the discharge and expressed concern about the high water consumption rates of data centers in the community.
The Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities has permanently taken away the sewage connection privileges of the upcoming Meta data center. The company will also be forced to pay for all remediation costs, including labor, materials, and chemical costs.
Original reporting: Oil City News (Casper WY) — read the source article.
