Tenney: Renewable natural gas plant a win-win for Valley cities

Innovation in wastewater treatment is right under our nose; converting waste to energy took a leap into reality last week as Ameresco officially cut the ribbon and unveiled the renewable natural gas, or RNG, plant at the 91st Ave Wastewater Treatment Plant.

This plant is the largest biogas 2 facility of its type in the U.S. and highlights an innovative public-private partnership between Ameresco and the sub-regional operating group member cities — including Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe — who collectively own the facility.

With this new RNG plant, recycling wastewater is being taken to the next level. To explain how, we must first look at the reality of what is involved in the processing of wastewater.

All of our wastewater treatment plants strive to run efficiently to extract as much recycled water as possible from all the wastewater that flows into those plants. However, we must acknowledge that it is more than water from flushing the toilet, doing laundry or washing dishes that arrives at the plants.

Read the full release (opens in new window)