Are rare bacteria in Wyoming city's water linked to data centers

Well-supported — high-quality sources agree

What we can confirm

Local utilities officials in Cheyenne, Wyoming report that a rare bacterium, Cupriavidus gilardii, was detected in the city’s reclaimed wastewater system and that the contamination was traced to construction-related wastewater from a Meta-linked data center project, not to the city’s drinking water supply.[2][3][4] This establishes a documented link between the bacterium in the municipal reclaimed water system and data center activities, but coverage also notes that the bacterium is naturally occurring in soil and groundwater and that Meta’s own testing did not detect it, so there is some uncertainty about the ultimate origin within the facility and normal operations.[1][2][3] Overall, credible reporting supports that the rare bacterium in Cheyenne’s reclaimed water system was linked by city officials to data center construction wastewater, while emphasizing that drinking water was unaffected and that the broader implications for data centers as a source of infectious disease remain unclear.[2][3]

Sources

Checked July 19, 2026 · we'll re-check as this develops