Renewable Energy Hub

With great sewage comes great responsibility, so it’s no suprise that some of the more forward thinking cities in the U.S. are beginning to transform their wastewater treatment facilities into community resources. The latest example comes from Olympia, Washington, where a sewage treatment plant features a brand new LEED Platinum-aspiring education center complete with a green roof, ornamental pond and fountain sculpture fed by reclaimed water from the treatment plant. The reclaimed water also irrigates the roof and grounds, and is used to operate toilets in the new facility, so visitors get a mini-lesson in wastewater reclamation with every flush.

Another example is the gigantic Newtown Creek sewage treatment plant in New York City, which added a public nature walk to its grounds in 2007.  Just this spring,  Newtown Creek opened a new visitor center featuring a water sculpture sculpture by famed artist Vito Acconci (as if the plant’s dramatic digester eggs needed any more help!). The  city plans to make multi-purpose rooms in the visitor center, along with their sweeping views of the facility, available for community organizations and other groups.

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