Our plant is not just a plant that treats wastewater, but rather a water and resource recovery facility that produces clean water, recovers nutrients (such as phosphorus and nitrogen), and is reducing the purchase of gas and electricity through the production and use of renewable energy right here at our plant.
The N-E-W paradigm focuses on recovering resources such as Nutrients, Energy, and Water. Beneficial use and resource recovery are the focus of Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs).
The Fond du Lac Wastewater Treatment & Resource Recovery Facility (WTRRF) consists of a complex biological treatment process that will produce three valuable end products.
- Clean water
- Methane gas
- Biosolids
Biosolids treatment consolidates nutrients into new products for beneficial uses such as soil amendments, compost, and fertilizer. Anaerobically digesting biosolids generates digester gas for co-generating electricity and heat, providing a significant percentage of our energy requirements. Digester gas can also be refined to natural gas quality and even converted to liquid natural gas or LNG. High strength waste brought into the plant produces the methane required to run our biogas generator.
Our effluent water is used throughout the plant for cooling equipment, landscape watering, and vehicle washing. It’s also used by private contractors for dust control on construction projects and watering for landscape projects. Tankers filled with effluent water are also used for flushing sanitary sewers. Effluent water is available from April 1 through November 1.