Tomorrow Water partners with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy
Today, we are excited to announce Tomorrow Water is partnering with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. on a project funded by the U.S. Department of Energy to make wastewater treatment more sustainable. As part of a $27.8 million effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRFs), this project will improve how nitrogen is removed from wastewater. By using a new treatment process called Partial Denitrification-Anammox (PdNA), the team aims to simplify operations, lower energy use, and cut emissions, all without increasing costs.
Researchers and utilities are advancing nutrient removal technology in wastewater treatment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and support a net-zero future. Four partner utilities- DC Water, Hampton Roads Sanitation District, Prince William County Service Authority, and Linda County Water District are serving as demonstration sites. The team is strengthened by the expertise of academic partners from Cornell, Princeton, Northwestern, and the University of Nevada, Reno.
Water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily methane and nitrous oxide. Many were built before climate change was a major consideration and now present opportunities for modernization through advanced digestion processes and renewable energy integration. funding is critical to reduce reliance on fossil fuels, making these facilities pivotal to decarbonization goals.
The project titled ‘Technological Upscaling of the Partial Denitrification-Anammox Process for Decarbonization with Mainstream Deammonification’, focuses on developing the partial denitrification anammox (PdNA) process to simplify and improve nitrogen removal while reducing energy use and emissions. The team is testing five different ways to grow beneficial bacteria on special materials, making PdNA more efficient and cost-effective compared to traditional nitrogen removal methods. This innovation not only replaces older nitrogen removal processes that produce greenhouse gases and other harmful emissions but also reduces CAPEX and OPEX.
Together, we’re advancing scalable solutions for a cleaner, resilient future.
Link to the full DOE announcement: https://www.energy.gov/eere/iedo/funding-selections-decarbonization-water-resource-recovery-facilities