A University of Nevada, Reno renewable energy research project is moving from the lab to the real world in a demonstration-scale system to turn wastewater sludge into electricity. The new patent-pending, low-cost, energy-efficient technology is scheduled to be set up in the Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility. Chuck Coronella, principle investigator for the research project and an associate professor of chemical engineering, said. "We're designing, building and assembling a continuous-feed system that will ultimately be used to generate electricity.
 
      We'll run experiments throughout the summer, creating a usable dried product from the sludge." The University's Technology Transfer Office, with assistance from the College of Business, is supporting the project with plans to make the system available to hundreds of communities around the country that operate water treatment plants. The experimental carbon-neutral system will process 20 pounds of sludge per hour, drying it at modest temperatures into solid fuel that will be analyzed for its suitability to be used for fuel through gasification and, in a commercial operation, ultimately converted to electricity. The refrigerator-size demonstration unit will help researchers determine the optimum conditions for a commercial-sized operation.

Project of the Year

         American Water, the largest investor-owned U.S. water and wastewater utility company, recently completed Fillmore Water Recycling Plant that has been named as the Project of the Year in the Water/Wastewater category by the Ventura County (Calif). The facility is a state-of-the-art zero-discharge wastewater treatment plant that was designed, built and is being operated by American Water in a public-private partnership with the City of Fillmore. The City of Fillmore elected to contract American Water to build a facility to produce high-quality filtered and disinfected water to meet the stringent standards required for surface and sub-surface irrigation of public and private facilities.

        The result is a facility that can treat 1.8 million gallons of water per day that meets the requirements of federal and state regulations as a zero discharge facility and an irrigation system providing water to schools, parks and other greenbelt areas. The plant also features advanced technology that maximizes energy efficiency, helping to keep costs down. A flow-equalization system minimizes water flow during the day, when cost and energy use is highest. Wastewater is cycled back into the plant where it is treated during off peak hours, when power demand and cost are lower.