San Antonio Water System (SAWS), a wastewater utility, together with Ameresco, a renewable energy company, have opened a biogas facility at the Dos Rios Water Recycling Center to capture biogas generated during sewage treatment process and sell it through commercial gas pipeline.
Under a 20-year partnership, the biogas facility will treat and transfer at least 900,000 cubic feet of methane gas generated by biosolids during the sewage treatment process to a nearby commercial gas pipeline, where they will sell it on the open market.
With the new facility, SAWS will be able to recycle and reuse almost all of the waste coming into Dos Rios through the production of biogas, compost and recycled water in addition to receiving an estimated $200,000 royalty on the sale of the gas each year, reducing the cost of SAWS operations.
SAWS president and CEO Robert Puente said that SAWS is constantly improving its operations to become more sustainable, and this project is a sound investment for their environment and community.
“By reusing biogas instead of burning it off, we are helping protect the city’s air quality and developing a renewable energy resource,” Puente said.