Data Centers Now Facing Backlash over Contaminated Wastewater

Rare bacteria, heavy metals, and toxic pollutants are leaking from data centers across the United States — breaking treatment facilities and poisoning rivers

Water contamination is becoming a big problem for AI data centers, but regulators simply do not have enough information to act

Data centers now facing backlash over contaminated wastewater

Locals are raising alarms over rare bacteria, forever chemicals, and other environmental concerns.

Rare Bacteria, PFAS, and Growing Backlash Over Datacenter Wastewater Pollution

A troubling pattern is emerging at the intersection of the tech industry’s data boom and environmental safety. In Cheyenne, Wyoming, routine testing of wastewater discharged from a massive Meta datacenter under construction turned up an unexpected and unsettling find: a rare, potentially hazardous bacterium called Cupriavidus gilardii. The contamination was detected in more than 801,000 […] The post Rare Bacteria, PFAS, and Growing Backlash Over…