Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Model

To establish a comprehensive baseline inventory to account for greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) and sinks, Carollo built an emissions inventory tool for Metro Water Recovery’s Robert W. Hite Treatment Facility (RWHTF) and METROGRO Farm that:

• Provided a means to develop a full accounting of annual GHG emissions at the RWHTF.
• Established a baseline inventory to measure progress toward meeting performance improvements and GHG reduction goals.
• Assessed Metro Water Recovery’s ability to comply with regulatory changes, evaluate impacts and benefits of operational changes, and evaluate potential energy efficiency measures.
• The long-term vision for the inventory tool is to support comparison of GHG emissions as part of process alternatives analyses. The tool was recently used to compare GHG emissions for different beneficial uses of biogas, including cogeneration and renewable natural gas. The inventory tool will serve an essential function in guiding Metro Water Recovery’s sustainability initiatives and assist in achieving its environmental stewardship goals.