Wastewater & Energy

EBMUD's wastewater treatment plant is more than a treatment plant; it's a green factory. Biodegradable wastes in sewage, food scraps and grease from local restaurants, and waste streams from wineries and poultry farms are mixed together in large tanks and "digested" by microorganisms. The methane emitted by the microorganisms is captured and used in large engines that power the wastewater treatment plant. Currently, about 90 percent of the wastewater plant's energy needs are met by capturing biogas emitted during the digestion process.

In Fall 2011, EBMUD will add an energy-efficient turbine, and power generation will exceed the plant's demand, making the wastewater plant a net producer of renewable energy. Adding renewable energy to the electrical grid cuts fossil fuel use and greenhouse gas emissions statewide, and also cuts costs for EBMUD ratepayers. Biogas production saved EBMUD nearly $3 million in 2010 by reducing electric power demand.

For more information about EBMUD's energy initiatives, see the document below, a PDF file which can be viewed and printed with Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free software.