An AI data center under construction for has contaminated a local City’s water supply with a rare bacteria.
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The global expansion of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has companies racing to build data centers to meet the soaring demand. While significant water use for cooling these centers is well-documented, a recent incident in Wyoming has raised additional concerns about local water resources.
In Cheyenne, located near the Colorado border, a rare bacterium called Cupriavidus gilardii was discovered in the reclaimed water system in February. This occurred after wastewater from the construction and commissioning of a Meta AI data center entered the city’s wastewater network, prompting a temporary shutdown of some parts of the system for remediation.
Cupriavidus gilardii is an environmental bacterium found in soil and water, with infections being rare. When infections do occur, they typically affect individuals with significant health issues or compromised immune systems. Some strains exhibit resistance to multiple antibiotics, complicating treatment options.
The contamination happened during “fill-and-flush” operations, a cleaning process for large cooling systems before they become operational. Officials emphasized that the bacterium was only found in non-potable water used for irrigation and not in drinking water. Nevertheless, there were concerns about potential exposure to the bacteria through inhaling aerosolized droplets in areas like parks and golf courses.
According to Business Insider, a Meta spokesperson confirmed that the company is working with its contractor Fortis to resolve the issue. “When the board shared that it found a substance in the city’s wastewater — not public drinking water — Fortis immediately stopped discharging industrial wastewater and began hauling it offsite,” the spokesperson stated. “Fortis also began its own water testing with an independent environmental specialist, which has found no trace of the substance.”
Meta has been contacted for additional comments.
This situation in Wyoming marks the first publicly reported case of an AI data center being linked to microbial contamination. However, large-scale cooling systems have previously been associated with outbreaks of Legionnaire’s disease, caused by the Legionella bacteria. Poorly maintained water systems can foster Legionella growth, leading to inhalation of contaminated droplets. Currently, the New York City health department is investigating a new outbreak that has sickened 36 people with 22 hospitalizations on the Upper East Side.
The incident in Wyoming does not imply that AI data centers are inherently a source of infectious diseases, as it involved wastewater from the facility’s commissioning, not its regular operations. Nonetheless, it highlights the broader impact of AI’s rapid expansion on communities, extending beyond energy use and carbon emissions. Increasingly, residents are voicing concerns about health impacts from noise generated by data centers. The Cheyenne incident serves as a reminder that public health considerations should be prioritized when planning and operating these facilities.
