US datacenters face further backlash over wastewater pollution
US datacenters are facing increased scrutiny and backlash due to reports of wastewater pollution. Recent incidents, including the discovery of rare bacteria in water discharged from a Meta facility in Wyoming, have raised concerns about environmental safety.
Why it matters
As AI and cloud computing demand massive infrastructure, the environmental impact of datacenter water usage and waste management is becoming a critical regulatory and public relations challenge.
The QTS datacenter complex under development in Fayetteville, Georgia. via Getty Images The QTS datacenter complex under development in Fayetteville, Georgia. via Getty Images Datacenters – US US datacenters face further backlash over wastewater pollution From rare bacteria to ‘forever chemicals’, a series of cases of violations or alleged pollution has prompted alarm
Prefer the Guardian on Google When officials in Wyoming conducted a routine test on the water that was being discharged from a massive under-construction Meta datacenter, it was a shock to find it contained a rare and potentially hazardous bacterium.
While the wastewater flushed into sewers in Cheyenne, Wyoming, was never destined for the public drinking supply, the presence of Cupriavidus gilardii bacterium in 801,000 gallons of water ejected by a contractor for the datacenter earlier this year was still unnerving.
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