Don't let wastewater go to waste, use it for heat

A new community development is tapping into the power of wastewater to achieve a carbon-neutral heating system. The Zibi development is located along the Ottawa River and will eventually provide homes to over 5,000 people. To achieve the development’s vision of becoming “Canada’s most sustainable neighbourhood,” Zibi will use the wastewater from the Kruger Products plant to heat and cool the 34-acre community. This infrastructure will save “[4.4] kilotons of carbon emissions per year, the equivalent of 1,000 cars.” Not only will Zibi be a great display of regenerative sustainability, but it also highlights the value of collaboration between the public and private sectors. Zibi and Kruger Products, along with Hydro Ottawa, Hydro Quebec, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the cities of Gatineau and Ottawa, worked together to break ground on this development. This collaboration represents the only direct energy system (DES) utilizing post-industrial waste for heating in North America. Scott Denmark, Zibi president, hopes to inspire others to invest in innovative and sustainable design. As Denmark told the Ottawa Citizen, “This is all entirely possible for others. There’s wastewater all over.”

Photo by Michael Tuszynski from Pexels/Canva

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