Lethal bacteria found in water systems near Mark Zuckerberg’s $800m Meta data centre
The tech CEO is under scrutiny as a rare bacterium which can cause death in those with weakened immune systems was found in the wastewater near his $800m AI project
Mark Zuckerberg faces backlash after a rare bacterium was discovered in wastewater near Meta’s $800m AI data centre in Wyoming, requiring “months of cleanup”.
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The company is working on a 715,000sq ft campus in Cheyenne, Wyoming, which is expected to launch next year.
But Meta now finds itself under fire after city officials discovered a rare bacterium in wastewater near the project, forcing two water reclamation plants to be pushed offline.
The bacterium, known as Cupriavidus gilardii, is naturally occurring and found in soil and water.
Whilst typically harmless to the majority of healthy people, it can cause severe pneumonia, bloodstream and lung infections, and in extreme cases, death amongst those with a compromised immune system.
The bacterium was found in wastewater discharged by Goat Systems, a contractor developing the Meta project, according to Cheyenne’s Board of Public Utilities (BOPU)
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The bacterium was first discovered during routine wastewater sampling at the end of February, according to the BOPU - but this was only made public last Thursday.
Meta said that its general contractor, Fortis, started hauling industrial wastewater off-site and that, to date, no trace of the substance has been found by independent testing.
Officials have emphasised that the bacterium has not contaminated the city’s drinking water – but confirmed that it disrupted the municipal reclaimed water system, which required months of cleanup.
Meta’s authorisation to discharge wastewater from its fill-and-flush operations into Cheyenne’s treatment system has been permanently revoked by the city.
This prevents the tech company from contaminating the systems which recycle the water that will later be used to irrigate parks and public spaces.
A Meta spokesman told the Daily Mail: “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.
“Fortis also began its own water testing with an independent environmental specialist, which has found no trace of the substance.
“Meta is committed to being a good neighbour in Cheyenne, including through the protection of local water resources, and will continue encouraging collaboration between Fortis and the board until this situation is resolved.”