Back in the day, there was controversy over thermal pollution from electric power plants (notably nuclear plants) that used lake or river water to cool their turbines. Today, attention is turning to thermal contributions from wastewater treatment plants, notably in areas with cold-water streams that harbor salmon and trout.
One plant dealing with that issue is the Medford Regional Wastewater Reclamation Facility in Central Point, Ore. It faces a state Department of Environmental Quality requirement to reduce thermal loading to its receiving stream, the Rogue River. Rather than actually cool its effluent, the facility is looking to reduce heat load to
