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Cheyenne adopts updated wastewater limits and BOPU raises; closed‑loop data‑center glycol protocols tightened
Summary
Council approved updated local wastewater discharge limits to align with NPDES/WPDEES requirements and adopted Board of Public Utilities rate adjustments (service fees and water/sewer increases). Staff said closed‑loop data centers must route glycol to dedicated tanks for testing and disposal.
Cheyenne — On June 8 the City Council approved a third‑reading ordinance updating local wastewater discharge limits and adopted the Board of Public Utilities’ rate schedule that raises service fees and commodity rates to cover infrastructure needs.
Wastewater updates
The wastewater ordinance updates Chapter 13.20 to bring city code into compliance with NPDES/WPDEES permit obligations and to refine local monitoring. Public works staff explained the new local limits and described targeted safeguards for closed‑loop data‑center glycol. "We're requiring all the closed‑loop data centers that use [glycol] to build a separate collection system that drains to a tank and is not directly connected to our collection system so that it can be evaluated," the utilities representative said. If glycol is detected, operators must haul it to a facility that can treat it safely.
Board of Public Utilities rates
Council also adopted the BOPU schedule after a committee recommendation. The ordinance increases service fees and raises water and sewer rates in the multi‑year plan the utility uses to maintain its system. BOPU staff noted that write‑offs and uncollectible debts are a small percentage of annual revenues and that the utility’s long‑term capital plan supported the adjustments.
Council vote and dissent
Both the wastewater ordinance and the BOPU rate ordinance passed on final readings. Some council members recorded a vote against the rate increase, with Councilman Moody casting a lone No on one of the BOPU items. Staff emphasized that rate adjustments follow consultant‑driven long‑term cost analyses and are intended to avoid larger future increases or system failures.
What to watch
Councilors and residents asked for continued transparency about utility reserves, costs related to large industrial customers and the technical monitoring protocols for industrial discharges. Staff said developer‑funded extensions remain the expected path for major new service areas, but the utility will continue monitoring aggregate demand and system health.
Reporting note: Quotes and descriptions are drawn from council debate and staff briefings in the June 8 meeting.
