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

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.

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About the City of Pasco:
The City of Pasco is committed to creating a vibrant, connected, and sustainable community. For more updates, follow us on social media or visit our website at www.pasco-wa.gov

About Burnham RNG:
Burnham is a leading owner and operator of resource recovery infrastructure. The company transforms municipal and industrial wastewater into RNG, clean water, and organic nutrients. Burnham combines entrepreneurial flexibility with a commitment to operational excellence. Learn more about how we are turning wastewater into opportunity at www.burnhamrng.com.

About Cascade Natural Gas Corp.:
Cascade Natural Gas is a natural gas distribution company serving approximately 317,700 residential, commercial, industrial and transportation customers in 95 communities in Washington and Oregon. Cascade is a subsidiary of MDU Resources Group Inc., a member of the S&P SmallCap 600 index. The company operates in the Pacific Northwest and Midwest, constructing and operating infrastructure that delivers natural gas and electricity that energizes homes and businesses. For more information about MDU Resources, visit www.mdu.com. For more information about Cascade, visit www.cngc.com.

About Biogas Engineering:
Biogas Engineering is a leading engineering and equipment manufacturing firm specializing in renewable natural gas (RNG) solutions. With expertise in designing and supplying advanced gas upgrading systems, BGE helps transform biogas into high-quality RNG for pipeline injection and energy markets. As a key technology provider for the Pasco Resource Recovery Center, BGE supplied the state-of-the-art gas upgrading equipment that enables the production of pipeline-quality RNG, reinforcing the project's commitment to sustainability and resource recovery. Learn more at www.biogasengineering.com.

About Gross-Wen Technologies:
Gross-Wen Technologies is a climate and wastewater treatment technology company that uses algae instead of bacteria or chemicals to recover nitrogen and phosphorus from wastewater. During the treatment process, the algae consume CO2, harmful greenhouse gasses, from the atmosphere, making algae the most sustainable way to treat wastewater. The algae are later harvested to be used as slow-release fertilizer, in biofuels, or in other products. GWT’s patented algae-based water treatment solution, called the revolving algal biofilm™️ system (RAB™️), is considered the top algae treatment system in the world. Learn more at www.algae.com.

About Swinerton Energy:
Swinerton Energy is an employee-owned firm that performs EPC and construction services across the country serving the bio-fuels, traditional energy, and industrial markets. As part of the Swinerton family of companies, Swinerton Energy is now separately incorporated as Swinerton Energy, Inc. to more fully customize its team and services to meet the demands of the industry’s best clients and complex projects. As a wholly-owned subsidiary of Swinerton Inc., Swinerton Energy offers the same core values of passion, integrity, excellence, leadership, and ownership that have been the center of the Swinerton brand since 1888.

Brittany Bowen
BPR International
+1 614-226-9542
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