Anaergia Brings Resource Recovery Solutions to Wastewater Treatment Plant in California

BURLINGTON, Ontario & HIGHLAND, Calif. --Anaergia Inc. (“Anaergia” or the “Company”) (TSX: ANRG) announced today that its solutions that turn waste into renewable energy are now integrated in a new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant in Highland, California. The new facility, owned and operated by East Valley Water District and known as the Sterling Natural Resources Center (SNRC), held a ribbon cutting ceremony this past Saturday.

Unlike any other plant in the world, the SNRC will not only recycle water to replenish local groundwater, it will also convert both wastewater solids and food waste into renewable energy and organic fertilizer, and serve as a community center for education and local events. All wastewater and food waste entering the plant will be converted into resources, and the facility will supply electricity to the grid in excess of its needs. Most wastewater plants, by contrast, require significant energy to run and produce waste that must be disposed of in landfills.

The SNRC will use Anaergia’s advanced anaerobic digestion technology to convert up to 130,000 gallons per day of food waste, along with its sewage biosolids, into biogas. The biogas will then be used to generate three megawatts of renewable electricity, enough to meet all of the facility’s energy needs and still add renewable power to the electric grid. In addition, the plant will use state-of-the-art membrane technology made by Anaergia’s affiliated company Fibracast to recycle up to eight million gallons of wastewater per day. Residues left over after energy is produced will be converted to valuable biochar, a natural fertilizer that will be sold and used to enrich farmland soil.

“Thanks to the leadership of East Valley Water District, the SNRC will make two paradigm shifts on how humanity builds wastewater facilities in the future,” said Andrew Benedek, Chairman and CEO of Anaergia. “The first paradigm shift is to make every wastewater plant maximize its resource recovery, reducing impacts to the environment. The second paradigm shift is to make such plants a social benefit and not a smelly eyesore. In years to come, I predict that this will serve as a catalyst for positive change and the community will greatly benefit from its park-like setting, its community center, and the vocational training programs associated with the SNRC.”

“East Valley Water District’s vision for the SNRC was to make every source a resource —Anaergia helped provide a solution for a resource recovery center,” said John Mura, General Manager/CEO of East Valley Water District, which built and will operate the plant. “The team brought everything together to create value from the wastewater—design, engineering, patented technologies—as well a shared passion to create a facility that will benefit the community for years to come.”

About Anaergia

Anaergia was created to eliminate a major source of greenhouse gases by cost effectively turning organic waste into renewable natural gas (“RNG”), fertilizer and water, using proprietary technologies. With a proven track record from delivering world-leading projects on four continents, Anaergia is uniquely positioned to provide end-to-end solutions for extracting organics from waste, implementing high efficiency anaerobic digestion, upgrading biogas, producing fertilizer and cleaning water. Our customers are in the municipal solid waste, municipal wastewater, agriculture, and food processing industries. In each of these markets Anaergia has built many successful plants including some of the largest in the world. Anaergia owns and operates some of the plants it builds, and it also operates plants that are owned by its customers.

About East Valley Water District

East Valley Water District was formed in 1954 and provides water and wastewater services to over 104,000 residents within the City of Highland and portions of both the City and County of San Bernardino. EVWD operates under the direction of a 5-member elected Board.

Sterling Natural Resource Center (SNRC) is a state-of-the-art facility in Highland, California, that will treat wastewater generated within East Valley Water District’s service area producing a sustainable new water supply to boost the region's water independence. Capable of treating up to 8 million gallons a day, the SNRC will recharge the local Bunker Hill Groundwater Basin. The SNRC will create new opportunities for the surrounding community in the form of outdoor space with picnic and walking paths, provide a drought-proof water supply, provide street improvements, and create new educational and training programs.

For further information on East Valley Water District please see: www.eastvalley.org

For further information on Anaergia please see: www.anaergia.com

Source: Anaergia Inc.