City of Pasco, Burnham RNG, and project partners celebrate water recovery and renewable energy facility

Facility to produce clean water, renewable energy, and environmental benefits for Pasco community

This project does much more than treat wastewater; it unlocks long-term value for the City of Pasco and its industries”

— Chris Tynan, Burnham RNG CEO

PASCO, WA, UNITED STATES, March 6, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The City of Pasco, Burnham RNG, and project partners Biogas Engineering, Cascade Natural Gas, Gross-Wen Technologies, Sustainable Energy Ventures, Swinerton Energy, and Xylem are celebrating the

groundbreaking expansion of the Process Water Reuse Facility (PWRF) and Pasco Resource Recovery Center (PRRC) —with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 11 a.m. on March 22, 2025.

This innovative facility transforms process water from seven local food processing plants into multiple beneficial resources. Through a unique combination of processes, the PRRC generates renewable natural gas (RNG), nutrient-rich soil amendments, algae for use in bioproducts, and returns clean water to be used for agricultural irrigation, all while reducing environmental impact.

The expansion of system users in the Pasco area, including the addition of Darigold, are driving increased demand for process water treatment. The upgraded PWRF will increase treatment capacity and enhance environmental benefits at a reduced cost, thanks to Pasco’s strategic 30-year public-private partnership with Burnham RNG who built, owns, and operates the PRRC.

“This facility is truly cutting-edge,” said Maria Serra, Pasco public works director. “By repurposing water from food processing plants, we’re improving our environmental impact, meeting state and federal environmental standards, and harnessing valuable resources like renewable natural gas, all while sharing costs with industry partners.”

Key Features:

• Sustainable Water Reuse: The upgraded system can now recycle more than one billion gallons of water annually from local food processors, treating it to a higher standard for safer agricultural irrigation.

• Enhanced Water Treatment Two 34-million-gallon anaerobic digesters provided by Xylem will use micro-organisms to break down organic material in the process water.

• Renewable Energy Generation: The anerobic digestion process will produce raw biogas that will be purified to pipeline quality RNG using advanced gas upgrading technology engineered and supplied by Biogas Engineering. The RNG will be locally distributed by Cascade Natural Gas.

• Algae-Based Water Purification: A greenhouse filtration system from Gross-Wen Technologies will use algae to recover nitrogen while also capturing carbon dioxide, benefiting both water and air quality.

• Expanded Water Storage: The facility’s newly expanded holding ponds will store treated water until it is needed for irrigation, ensuring efficient and sustainable use of resources.

• Efficient Project Delivery: Swinerton Energy served as the EPC contractor for the PRRC, ensuring project completion on time and within budget.

“This project does much more than treat wastewater; it unlocks long-term value for the City of Pasco and its industries,” said Chris Tynan, Burnham RNG CEO. “By integrating advanced treatment, nutrient recovery, and energy production, we and our partners have built a system that makes wastewater a financial and environmental asset.”

The Process Water Reuse Facility is a testament to innovation, environmental responsibility, and smart partnerships, helping Pasco remain at the forefront of agricultural industrial symbiosis.