York: Here is how to get rid of waste with bacteria

Stephanie Reighart
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I'm very interested in reducing my carbon footprint and living more sustainably. In an urban area like York city with meager greenspace, over-burdened resources and lots of people, I am always looking for another way to be a little more green.

I recycle more than I throw away (and am very grateful for the curbside recycling program), I have composting bin in my backyard that feeds the vegetable garden I cultivate each spring, and every light bulb in my house sports the spiral of a compact florescent.

So when I heard about the innovative way that researchers up at Penn State in State College were running their waste water treatment plant, I was curious. They take bacteria from the campus waste water plant and use them to run microbial fuel cells that, in turn, power the lights, pumps and aerators at the plant.

Read about PSU's microbial fuel cells here.

Is this something that York could incorporate to save money and energy?

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