CLICK TO WATCH : ‘ BECOMING A CARBON NEUTRAL CITY ’ 17
We ’ re ahead of the curve , which encompasses how we focus our approach in the desert .” Along with the biogas production , reclaimed water is also being diverted into irrigation for farming and agriculture and for cooling at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station . Meanwhile , the final by-products , the bio-solids which amount to 10 % of total waste , become fertilisers for non-food crops .
Hartman also notes the city ’ s approach to the final polishing of water has evolved . “ Typically , you
would just build a treatment plant before releasing it into the waterways ,” he says . “ Instead , we ’ ve constructed the Tres Rios Wetlands . It ’ s significant because we ’ re using nature to do the work for us and at the same time , it transformed this desertscape into a beautiful wetland home to 150 species of birds . So in contrast to many of our human behaviors that are slowly contaminating our ecosystem , we are being restorative and enhancing nature so that it can thrive .”
It ’ s not just the city ’ s infrastructure that is evolving . Phoenix is also
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