- A contractor for Meta's AI datacenter in Cheyenne, Wyoming, flushed bacteria-contaminated water into public sewers, leading to strict safety regulations.
- Meta's general contractor, Fortis, was ordered to cooperate with authorities; contamination did not affect drinking water, and independent tests found no trace of the bacterium.
- The incident involves Cupriavidus gilardii, a rare bacterium considered an opportunistic pathogen, with only seven reported human infection cases, including fatalities.
- Cheyenne revoked Meta's discharge authority, banned wastewater from datacenters with closed loop cooling systems, and requires separate collection systems for offsite disposal.