Une bactérie rare a été déversée dans les égouts d'un centre de données américain.

A rare metal-resistant bacterium was released into the sewage system of Cheyenne, Wyoming, following an incident involving a construction contractor working on Meta's campus. The local authorities have suspended industrial wastewater discharges from data centers after linking the presence of the bacterium Cupriavidus gilardii to the contractor responsible for building Meta’s facility in the city. The Cheyenne City Council for Utilities Services determined that Goat Systems LLC, a company contracted by Meta for the construction of its campus, had discharged water containing Cupriavidus gilardii into the city's sewer system. This bacterium, known for its resistance to metals, disrupted the operation of two water treatment plants and caused the water reuse system within the plant to be shut down for several months. According to reports, the council concluded that Goat Systems had seriously violated regulations regarding wastewater discharge. On March 24, permits for water discharge during the filling and flushing process were revoked, and a broader suspension now includes all data centers connected to the city's utility services. Filling and flushing refers to the process used when starting up cooling systems. Workers fill the pipes of the cooling loop with water, flush them to remove contaminants before the system begins operating, and then release the water into the drainage system. Goat Systems reportedly discharged this water, which contained Cupriavidus gilardii, into Cheyenne's sewer system, according to Frank Strong, director of the city's engineering and water resources department, as reported by the Wyoming Tribune Eagle. Strong noted that the water used for filling was purchased directly from the city's utilities service, but the origin of the bacteria remains unknown. Laboratory staff discovered the bacteria during routine testing for fecal bacteria in February. “This isn't something we typically test for,” Strong said. Authorities expressed concerns about both the bacteria and potential chemical contaminants. Closed-loop cooling systems used by companies such as Microsoft and Nvidia represent an alternative to evaporative cooling, which uses almost no water. These systems are increasingly being adopted as AI data centers expand into more communities. Microsoft describes its cooling systems as ones filled once during construction and then continuously recycled. NVIDIA's Rubicon platform uses a coolant composed of 75% water and 25% propylene glycol. However, the initial filling process produces wastewater. Water used for flushing leaves the site before the cooling circuit is closed. Strong mentioned that the council's concern stems not only from the discovery of the bacteria but also from the possibility of glycols and other chemicals present in closed-loop cooling systems, which municipal wastewater treatment facilities are not designed to handle. Cheyenne uses treated water for irrigation of parks, golf courses, and other green areas. The council feared that the bacteria could become a hazard if it entered the air during irrigation. Meta has stated its support for its main contractor, Fortis, who has halted the discharge and begun transporting wastewater from the site. The company claims independent testing has not found traces of the controversial substance. Testing at the Dry Creek and Crow Creek facilities ended by the end of June, and the water reuse system has since resumed operations. Cheyenne City Council member Pete Laybourn called the discovery “a very, very unpleasant surprise.” The council has not disclosed how the suspension affects other data centers under construction in Cheyenne. In another unrelated incident, the water supply in Rijeka faced a similar crisis due to high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide detected near a fish processing plant. Authorities confirmed that dangerous levels of the gas were measured inside the shafts, but not at ground level, posing no risk to the public. The inspection revealed that internal drainage system neglect led to pump blockage in the wastewater treatment equipment. The issue has been resolved, and the inspection process continues. The Rijeka Water Supply Company stated they filed a report with the relevant inspection bodies because they lack the authority to prohibit wastewater discharge from the factory. They emphasized that their staff remains on-site conducting continuous measurements of gas concentration in the public drainage system. Elevated levels of hydrogen sulfide were recorded approximately 300 meters downstream from the plant. Measurements continue daily in the morning and afternoon hours. Acceptable gas concentration in the drainage network is up to 5 ppm. During Tuesday and Wednesday, significantly higher values were recorded, exceeding 100 ppm in some areas. However, recent measurements showed improvement, indicating that current levels are within acceptable limits. The highest readings were observed in the part of the drainage network connected to the Orada Adriatic company. No presence of gases outside the drainage pipes was detected, except for an unpleasant odor on-site. Officials assured that there is currently no danger to human health and emphasized the importance of continuing monitoring until the company completes thorough cleaning of its internal drainage system and until the relevant inspection bodies make decisions regarding unauthorized wastewater discharge into the public drainage system.