Putting biogas to work has been a priority at the Roanoke Regional Water Pollution Control Plant since it was built in 1951.Back then, biogas from the plant’s anaerobic digesters powered pumps to move raw sewage.“You have to give our predecessors credit for having a beneficial use all those years ago,” says Scott Shirley, chief operating officer for water quality with the Western Virginia Water Authority. “Since the inception of the plant, we’ve been on a journey to maximize the beneficial use of biogas.”Over the years, the plant staff found other uses for the biogas, such as boiler fuel to heat
