Down the Toilet and Back into the Grid: San Antonio to Turn Sewage Into Energy
Among the many other distinctions San Antonio residents can point to, they can now add one more: their city will boast the first utility system in the U.S. to capture and sell methane gas generated during sewage treatment.
The San Antonio Water System (SAWS) Board of Trustees last night approved what they call a “truly innovative contract” with Ameresco, an “independent energy solutions company” based in Framingham, Massachusetts. Under the 20-year lease and operating agreement, Ameresco will build the pipelines and other facilities needed to collect and distribute methane gas produced from the city’s sewage. In return, SAWS gets a 12 percent royalty on the open market methane sales.
“The citizens of San Antonio produce about 140,000 tons of biosolids each year,” said Steve Clouse, chief operating officer of SAWS. “Treating these biosolids generates an average of 1.5 million cubic feet of gas a day — that’s enough gas to fill seven commercial blimps or 1,250 tanker trucks each day.”
That stinky energy bonanza is currently going to waste: up till now, the utility has burned off sewage-treatment methane using flares.
“Due to the increases we are experiencing in the price of energy, this project is now a very smart investment for the environment and regional community,” Clouse said. “Early estimates put the revenue at about $200,000 to $250,000 a year. SAWS will be the only large wastewater utility actively selling biogas in the United States.”
This isn’t the first eco-friendly action SAWS has taken, either. It’s been selling recycled wastewater and biosolid-based compost from its Dos Rios Water Recycling Center for years.
According to MySanantonioNews.com, construction of the new sewage-to-biogas infrastructure is expected to take between 18 and 24 months to complete.
That’s really clever. It’s nice to see communities coming up with their own ideas to help solve the energy needs of it’s people.
Now, ferment that shit as efficiently a science will allow, then take the sludge from it, treat it with radiation to make it “bug free” and safe, then get it to the farmers for topsoil for huge hemp plantations on otherwise non-arable land and let them produce bio-diesel and fiber for ultra-light body panels for our cars! Home run instead of just settling for first base, an American concept to be sure, and a good one, but be fast, the Chinese study the net for gems like this, and will beat us to the gun, so to speak, if we don’t get the lead out and move lickerty split!
Most excellent. I love to hear a good green story that gives us hope for the future.