In an age defined by resource scarcity, economic constraints and environmental urgency, leadership in wastewater management is no longer about mere compliance or disposal. It’s about vision.
The cradle-to-cradle philosophy, where waste is viewed not as a burden but as a resource, offers a transformative model for wastewater treatment plants and private industry. This shift requires bold leadership that can recognize and harness the untapped potential flowing through our sewers.
At its core, cradle-to-cradle thinking sees wastewater not as the end of a linear process but the beginning of a regenerative cycle. Every drop contains recoverable energy, nutrients and water – assets that can be refined, reused and reinvested. Today’s waste, under this model, becomes tomorrow’s want.
Utilities around the country are already demonstrating what’s possible. Through anaerobic digestion, wastewater treatment plants capture biogas, a renewable methane energy source that can power plant operations, fuel a fleet or feed local electrical grids. Nutrient recovery systems such as Milwaukee’s Milorganite® extract valuable phosphorus and nitrogen to produce fertilizers, reducing the need for synthetic alternatives. In some parts of the country, advanced treatment technologies purify wastewater to such a degree that it can be reused in agriculture, industry or even potable supply.
Cradle-to-cradle thinking would take these examples and add private industry’s waste to the stream, producing even more benefits for the utility and its customers. For example, additional energy could be produced from the organic waste from breweries and other industrial processes, saving money for all involved and reducing impacts on climate.
Dutch Lessons
AquaMinerals, a nonprofit in the Netherlands, is showing what can be accomplished in this realm. The organization, a collective of 11 Dutch drinking water utilities and nine wastewater authorities, recovers byproducts used in the water and wastewater treatment process and turns them into valuable products used in agriculture and gardening, tiles and ceramics, and even face cream.
The Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District (MMSD) is moving down the cradle-to-cradle path by performing a market study to:
- Determine what industries in the region create organic waste in their production process,
- Explore whether this waste could be effectively digested to produce energy, and
- Determine the potential cost savings of providing this waste material to the MMSD wastewater plants for co-digestion to produce energy.
The study will be foundational to MMSD’s goal of using existing infrastructure for receiving waste, producing energy, reducing our ratepayer costs for energy and providing a safe, economic disposal method for industry.
But implementing cradle-to-cradle solutions isn’t just a technical upgrade; it’s also a leadership challenge.
Seeing The Big Picture and Taking the Long View
Too often, wastewater leaders only look at their utility and don’t consider how the utility is part of a broader ecosystem. They don’t understand that through collaborative efforts they can make their utilities more streamlined and less costly while improving the environment. It demands system thinking, investment in innovation and collaboration across sectors. Through this journey, leaders must also realize that they are an anchor institution, meaning their utility will be around for generations to come. Taking this approach allows leaders to overcome institutional inertia, navigate regulatory frameworks and engage the public in reshaping how we view waste.
This leadership challenge extends to the industrial market as well. Motivated to reduce their bottom line, companies must look outside the norm and embrace these sustainable changes. Change will come with challenges, but companies should look to partner with local utilities to share risk, save money and improve their community.
The cradle-to-cradle approach reframes wastewater treatment plants as resource recovery hubs, integral to circular economies and climate resilience. The leaders who embrace this paradigm shift are not just managing waste; they’re shaping a new future.
About the Author
This article was written by Kevin Shafer, Executive Director of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District.
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