Dayton looking for ways to capture methane released from water treatment

Donna Winchester, environmental manager for the City of Dayton, kneels by a monitoring well located near the site of the Sherwin-Williams paint warehouse that burned down in 1987. The well is used to take samples of the groundwater and head of any contaminants before they hit the water treatment plant. Staff photo by Lisa Powell

Lisa Powell/Staff photographer Donna Winchester, environmental manager for the City of Dayton, kneels by a monitoring well located near the site of the Sherwin-Williams paint warehouse that burned down in 1987. The well is used to take samples of the groundwater and head of any contaminants before they hit the water treatment plant. Staff photo by Lisa Powell

ENLARGE PHOTO

Wilburt Shanklin (left) and Tom Wones, maintenance workers for the City of Dayton Wastewater Treatment Plant, prepare to wash sludge off the top of one of the anaerobic digesters at the facility located at 2800 Guthrie Road. Methane gas is produced in the digesters then stored in the sphere located in the background. The sludge can be seen behind Shanklin as they prepare a water hose to do the job. Staff photo by Ron Alvey

Ron Alvey Wilburt Shanklin (left) and Tom Wones, maintenance workers for the City of Dayton Wastewater Treatment Plant, prepare to wash sludge off the top of one of the anaerobic digesters at the facility located at 2800 Guthrie Road. Methane gas is produced in the digesters then stored in the sphere located in the background. The sludge can be seen behind Shanklin as they prepare a water hose to do the job. Staff photo by Ron Alvey

ENLARGE PHOTO

Man, 68, drowns at Caesar Creek Lake
5/26/12
Water rescues prompt warning from health officials
5/25/12
Beach Waterpark sued for failure to deliver
5/25/12
Raleigh Trammell’s defense opens in felony trial
5/25/12
UD to move satellite campus to Dublin
5/25/12
> More headlines

By Joanne Huist Smith, Staff Writer Updated 1:31 AM Sunday, April 18, 2010

DAYTON — The city of Dayton’s waste water treatment process produces 600,000 cubic feet of methane gas per day and the city is looking to capture the gas and reduce waste.

Half of the methane is used to generate electricity for the city’s Waste Water Treatment Plant on Guthrie Road and to heat water to run boilers and engines during the waste water treatment process. The other half is wasted, burned off into the environment widening the city’s carbon footprint.

Lalit Gupta, the city’s acting division manager of the waste water treatment plant, felt that wasn’t acceptable. His goal is to recapture and use 100 percent of that methane and sell off any excess to a natural gas company as an alternative fuel.

A $1.7 million federal stimulus grant will make that happen by next year.

City officials say it’s part of an Earth Day, every day, attitude.

“Environmental protection, which now includes energy management, is something we should do every day,” said Donna Winchester, the city’s environmental manager. “There’s a general consciousness and awareness here.”

The city’s Cool Energy Team in 2008 developed an office guide for employees to reduce waste and conserve energy. Light bulbs in traffic signals around Dayton are retrofitted with more energy efficient and longer lasting LED bulbs. Evaluations and upgrades at 12 city-owned buildings will save an estimated $337,756 in energy costs per year.

The city is experimenting with alternative energy forms such as solar and geothermal and is even purchasing several hybrid cars.

Five solar security cameras — portable and wireless— are in use at the city’s two well fields. Solar aeration units are being installed on ponds at Kitty Hawk Golf Course to reduce algae growth and the Burkhardt water tower is getting a new solar mixer that keeps chlorine levels even.

Dayton has had its share of environmental issues related to former manufacturing sites, including groundwater contaminated with trichloroethylene, TCE — a solvent linked to health problems — under the Behr Dayton Thermal Systems facility at 1600 Webster St.

Heather Lauer, spokeswoman for the Ohio EPA, said that while Dayton city leaders and the regulatory agency don’t always agree, she has found they have a great interest in being made aware of environmental problems or findings.

“If you ask folks here about Dayton, most would commend the city for a lot of steps they are taking,” Lauer said. “Overall, it’s nice to see a community work so hard.”

The city’s latest green endeavor involves a study of the mechanical systems of downtown buildings to determine if geothermal energy can be used to offset electric and gas costs. In this case, geothermal energy means using ground water — that maintains a temperature of about 56 degrees — to heat buildings in winter and cool them in summer.

“We’re tapping into our aquifer to take advantage of this abundant, free resource,” Timothy S. Downs, Dayton’s deputy director of economic development said.

“Establishing a Geothermal Energy District downtown will both promote sustainable practices and provide an alternative energy resource for economic development.”

The geothermal energy district would utilize the buried aquifer under the city as a natural resource to reduce Dayton’s impact on global greenhouse gas emissions, Downs said.

Four consultants submitted bids to conduct the downtown building study. The contract will be awarded in May and take four to six months to complete.

If you happen to be flying over downtown or have a bird’s eye view of the City Hall rooftop, you’ll spot another initiative. Eight types of sedum, slow growing vegetation, are greening up a 2,000 square foot section of the roof. The rooftop garden was installed in June 2009 to reduce and filter storm water runoff to the city’s storm sewer system, which drains into one of the rivers flowing through Dayton.

A “green” roof reduces the Urban Heat Island Effect by insulating and shading the roof, thus reducing the amount of heat that is radiated back into the atmosphere. Michele Simmons, a compliance coordinator in the city’s Department of Water, said the green roof saves money by extending the life of the roof by reflecting the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which causes roofs to become brittle. The insulation provided by the garden also can reduce heating and cooling costs for the building.

“This is small, but it’s a platform, a billboard for what we’re trying to do in the city,” Simmons said.

Share this article