Noah Thornton – Senior Project Manager | Omaha, NE

Commonwealth Electric Company of the Midwest’s (CECM) team in Omaha, NE, is making significant progress on two projects at the Papillion Creek Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF). This wastewater plant is designed to intake all of the City of Omaha’s waste and separate it into three valuable resources: gas, water, and solids.

The first project the CECM team is completing aims to upgrade the facility’s digesters, which transform waste into valuable resources. These digesters will extract methane gas from the waste, which will then be treated and used as an energy source to power the plant through four medium voltage generators, which the CECM team is installing in the second project. Alternatively, the methane can be sold to utility companies across the nation for use as fuel.

In addition to gas extraction, the plant will also extract and treat water, removing waste products so that the water can be safely returned to the river. Once treated to meet U.S. regulations, this water can then be reused.

The solids extracted from the waste will also undergo a recycling and treatment process, after which they will be sold as compost for use in fields, gardens, and other applications, contributing to the sustainability and health of the surrounding community and the environment.

Throughout these projects, the Omaha team is installing and commissioning the entire electrical system, including power, lighting, and control systems. CECM is providing a turnkey electrical system by installing all raceways, wire, lighting, process control, and commissioning the system in partnership with the owner, engineer, architect, general contractor, and other subcontractors.

Already two years into construction, the upgrade to the Papillion Creek WRRF’s digesters is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The second project, which involves the reuse of methane generated by the plant, is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

The newly upgraded Papillion Creek WRRF will continue to provide fresh, recycled, and treated resources that can be used again and again. Our team is excited to see these projects come to fruition and is proud to contribute to the health and sustainability of Omaha and its surrounding communities.