Recovering resources from wastewater affordably and sustainably

Re-envisioning wastewater facilities as resource recovery facilities is critical to decarbonizing our water supply and supporting a circular water and nutrient economy. But recovering biogas, potable water, and nutrients from traditional treatment processes is expected to increase electricity requirements of the plant by four times, and has been shown to increase emissions. A promising alternative lies in coordinated operation of battery, wastewater, and compressed biogas storage via an “integrated energy management system” which can reduce electricity costs by 17% and minimize harmful biogas flaring. Through demonstration studies, this project will extend the approach to account for potable water reuse, air stripping for ammonia recovery, and compressed air storage.