Wastewater treatment plant starts nutrient trading to improve discharge

To help reduce nitrogen and phosphorus discharge to California’s impaired Laguna de Santa Rosa, the Sotoyome Resource Conservation District is working with City of Santa Rosa officials and wastewater treatment plant staff on a nutrient credit trading program. The nutrient trading plan allows the wastewater facility to earn credits from projects to reduce nonpoint source pollution in the area. Such projects include improving stormwater runoff and reducing sedimentation. Improving impaired watersThe city’s 21 mgd (design) Laguna Wastewater Treatment Plant in 2002 discharged 2.8 billion gallons to the Laguna de Santa Rosa, which flows to the Russian River. Because the laguna is an