Coordinated upgrades could cut Bay Area wastewater nitrogen cleanup costs by half

A Stanford University study published in Nature Water suggests that Bay Area wastewater treatment plants could nearly halve the costs of nitrogen cleanup by coordinating upgrades. The research highlights the potential financial benefit of collaborative infrastructure planning for meeting regulatory standards for polluted water entering San Francisco Bay.

According to the study, the amount ratepayers will ultimately pay to treat the water depends largely on whether the region’s wastewater treatment plant operators are willing and able to coordinate construction and operation of infrastructure to satisfy those requirements. The study indicates that coordination among wastewater treatment plant operators will influence the cost to ratepayers.