One of the largest wastewater treatment facilities in the world is now capable of recovering phosphorous and nitrogen to create a high-value fertilizer.
Chicago's Stickney Water Reclamation Plant has installed equipment from Ostara Nutrient Recovery Technologies.
Ostara says it's process can recover more than 85 per cent of the phosphorous and up to 15 per cent of the nitrogen from wastewater streams.
Excess phosphorous in waterways is blamed for algae blooms, creating toxic conditions that destroy aquatic life and severely limited recreational enjoyment of lakes and rivers.
Environmental Advocate and Attorney Robert Kennedy Junior says the system is proof to municipalities a viable and cost-effective solution to address their nutrient challenges exists.
Ostara's eco-friendly fertilizer from the process is called Crystal Green.
