Speakers:

Nick Newman, ENV-SP, Environment and Technology Manager, Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District, NIU Alumnus (2019, ENVS/NNGO)

Ben Meier, Operations Foreman, Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District

Wastewater treatment is crucial for public health and has saved more lives than penicillin. However, treating wastewater is an extremely energy intensive process. The Kishwaukee Water Reclamation District (KWRD) has developed exciting innovations to make this high-energy process much more environmentally sustainable. By turning the waste that remains at the end of the treatment process into a source of energy, they’ve made the treatment process nearly energy neutral.

Each day, an average of 5.5 million gallons of wastewater flows through the sanitary sewers under DeKalb, NIU, the Village of Malta and Kishwaukee College. During heavy rainfall, the volume can be as much as 10 times that. Join Nick Newman and Ben Meier to learn about the daily operations at KWRD and hear how innovation helps the district monitor and evaluate the condition of more than 180 miles of sanitary sewer mains, while prioritizing energy efficiency.