Harvesting biomass from one of the test "green rectangles" at the Santa Rosa Wastewater treatment facility. The plant mass is sent on to a digester to be converted to methane.At Santa Rosa's Regional sewer plant, ponds covered with fast-growing aquatic plants are being used to help clean toxics and pollutants out of the water as part of the wastewater treatment process. But there's another, very different benefit those plants can offer as well.

While showing off the FAB project at the treatment plant, Caden Hare explained that the effort to develop on site energy generation was driven in part by the needs of the facility itself.

With the recent expansion of the harvesting and digestors, Hare adds, the output from the biomass is already making a significant contribution to the plant's power consumption.

Del Tredinnick (front, center) of Santa Rosa's Public Utility Department with the FAB Project Development Team. Caden Hare is at the top right.