Waste and Wastewater Treatment
Introduction
Everyday, humans create both bodily and landfilled waste that must be treated. The infrastructure needed to process and treat this waste is a necessary part of maintaining the public health of any community. Without the proper treatment processes in place, this waste can lead to water quality, air quality, and public health concerns in the community.
As the number of humans have increased and as human society has undergone significant evolution, so has the volume of organic waste generated by humans. These waste products require suitable disposal locations to prevent water pollution and exposure to harmful gases and particulates that pose a risk to the environment and human health. It is imperative to adopt a comprehensive approach to waste management, encompassing both treatment and source reduction, with the ultimate goal of minimizing the adverse effects of waste treatment on human populations and the environment.
In 2023, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from landfilled waste and wastewater treatment processes totaled nearly 600,000 mt CO2e, or 6% of all pollution in the MSA. Of the total GHG emissions, landfilled waste makes up 96% of the total while wastewater treatment processes accounts for the remaining 4%. Due to the presence of 7 landfills within the MSA boundary, the quantity of waste landfilled is high relative to other regions with fewer landfills present. This information can be seen in Figures 1 and 2 below.
The inventory follows a protocol which requires the quantification of emissions from waste produced within the MSA. However, materials that have been thrown away have additional emissions associated with their production and transportation that do not occur within the MSA. Given these upstream impacts, reducing the amount of materials we consume not only reduces the negative impacts of waste but also avoids the creating or shipping of new products.
The following activities create GHG emissions in the waste sector: landfilled waste, compost, municipal wastewater treatment processes, and wastewater treatment in septic tanks. The decomposition of organic materials in the landfill creates methane gas, a greenhouse gas up to 27 times more potent than carbon dioxide, which can escape into the atmosphere without capturing technology at the landfill. Composting organic materials produces some greenhouse gases but significantly less than if organic material is sent to the landfill. The treatment of wastewater for reuse, or the disposal of wastewater in septic tanks, involves the processing of nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas up to 273 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
This graph shows the total greenhouse gas emissions by sector in the Albuquerque MSA for 2023. The values are presented in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Transportation: The highest contributor to emissions among sectors, nearing 4 million metric tons.
Building Energy: The second-highest emitter, with 4,304,242 metric tons.
Industrial Processes and Product Use: A moderate contributor, with emissions below the Building Energy and Transportation sectors.
Waste and Wastewater: Contributes 593,835 metric tons of greenhouse gases.
Agriculture: Displays a net carbon sequestration of -133,293 metric tons, reflecting its role in reducing emissions.
This graph details emissions from waste and wastewater management activities, measured in metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Landfilled Waste: The largest source with 568,289 metric tons.
Wastewater: Contributes 24,584 metric tons.
Compost: Minimal emissions of 962 metric tons
Bright spots
Torrance County achieved a diversion rate of 29%, the highest of all the counties!
A total of 18,415 tons of compost was diverted from the landfill in the MSA.
The Southside Water Reclamation Plant, New Mexico’s largest wastewater treatment plant, has efficient, pollution-reducing treatment processes in place, emissions from the wastewater treatment subsector are minimal in comparison to other regions
What You Can Do
Advocate for major entities to:
Utilize anaerobic processes at municipal wastewater treatment plants and either collect the gas and turn it into renewable natural gas or flare it.
Adopt single use plastic bans.
Develop sustainable purchasing policies.
Adopt a single hauler ordinance for waste collection and mandate the pick-up of recycling and composting.
Avoid buying more than you need to reduce the potential for creating waste.
Avoid buying new items where it makes sense (like clothes, furniture, books, etc.); visit your local thrift store!
Avoid buying single use plastics where possible.
Save money and reduce emissions by reducing the amount of food waste.
Avoid putting food waste in the trash or down the garbage disposal and compost it instead.