Wastewater officials talk more and more about turning publicly owned treatment works into publicly owned power plants.
They should take a lesson from the Santa Cruz (California) Wastewater Treatment Facility.The plant has 1,300 kW of electric power generating capacity in a cogeneration system that burns digester methane. It also operates a 53 kW solar photovoltaic system and has energy-saving water fixtures and lighting. Team members continuously monitor the plant’s energy and greenhouse gas performance. All told, the plant operates on 70 percent green power.As a result, the plant has achieved Green Business Certification from the Monterey Bay Area Green Business program,
