SRCSD - The Recycling Connection

The Recycling Connection

Biosolids Management Program

Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant (SRWTP)

Water Recycling Program

Wastewater Source Control Section

The Recycling Connection

At the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (SRCSD), we like to say that wastewater isn't really waste! That's because our Regional Treatment Plant recycles nearly every component of wastewater.

Cleaning and Disinfecting the Water

Mechanical, chemical and enhanced biological processes separate the less than one percent of solid matter from the more than ninety-nine percent of wastewater that is liquid. The liquid is disinfected, then recycled by returning it to the Sacramento River. From there, the water is available for people and other living creatures downstream from Sacramento to reuse and enjoy.

Recycling the Solid Matter

Inside closed tanks, naturally-occurring microorganisms "digest" the organic solids removed from wastewater. The solids continue to break down slowly during storage in one of SRCSD's lagoons for up to five years. Digested solids are also called biosolids, a valuable recycled fertilizer and soil amendment that meets strict federal and state standards for use on certain types of crops.

Recycling Gas Into Electricity

Methane gas, a by-product of the solids digestion process, is burned to produce electricity at a cogeneration facility owned by Carson Energy and located next to our Regional Treatment Plant. The electricity - you might call it "recycled" power - is sold to the Sacramento Municipal Utilities District. In the event of an extended power failure, this electricity would also serve as a backup power supply to keep our treatment plant running through any emergency.