Fuentes, Alex

Alex has over 11 years of experience in petroleum, chemical, and environmental engineering and operations in industrial plants. Alex's areas of...

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About Fuentes, Alex

Alex has over 11 years of experience in petroleum, chemical, and environmental engineering and operations in industrial plants. Alex's areas of expertise include but are not limited to process optimization and process design, mass and energy balances, and identification of root causes for process-related problem resolution. Currently as the Section Manager of Engineering for WSSC Water and overseeing the BioEnergy Plant at Piscataway, Alex is committed to using innovative technology to recover resources and produce green energy, enhancing the region's environmental and financial health.

Fuentes, Alex

Titles from this speaker

RB Session 08: Fugitive Methane Investigation and Abatement

Abstract

WSSC Water recently purchased an Optical Gas Imaging camera to help identify fugitive methane leaks around their facilities on an on-going basis. They are the first wastewater utility to purchase their own OGI camera. This presentation will discuss how they made the business case for purchasing the camera and how they plan to use it on a regular basis. Upgrading biogas to RNG quality for pipeline injection has become an excellent complement to the water reclamation portfolio of renewable products providing an additional, non-rate based, source of utility revenue while simultaneously reducing carbon emissions. While many utilities utilize digester biogas for cogeneration and thermal demands, many continue to flare excess biogas representing a significant waste of a renewable resource. For many decades, Pima County relied on cogeneration CHP while flared excess biogas as needed. That all changed in 2021 when a biogas upgrading facility was installed at the Tres Rios WRF. The 3-stage membrane separation process produces RNG and saleable environmental attributes while achieving greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reductions and generating annual revenues in excess of $5,000,000 for the utility. However, the installation of any new process always presents new challenges. The Tres Rios WRF has instituted a rigorous leak detection program for fugitive methane emissions to address facility worker safety. Reducing fugitive emissions not only ensures worker safety, but also helps prevents loss of potential revenues. To help achieve these goals, Tres Rios utilizes a variety of means for monitoring fugitive emissions including open path LIDAR for outdoor monitoring, acoustic leak detection for pressurized, piping networks, and optical gas imaging cameras for routine inspection of digesters covers and hatches, pressure relief valves and condensate drains and traps.

This paper was presented at the WEF Residuals & Biosolids and Innovations in Treatment Technology Joint Conference, May 6-9, 2025.

SpeakerFuentes, Alex

Presentation time

13:30:00

16:45:00

Session time

13:30:00

16:45:00

SessionFugitive Methane Investigation and Abatement

Session number8

Session locationBaltimore Convention Center, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

TopicFugitive Methane

Author(s)

Fuentes, Alex

Author(s)A. Fuentes1, J. Prevatt2

Author affiliation(s)WSSC Water, 1Pima County, 2

SourceProceedings of the Water Environment Federation

Document typeConference Paper

PublisherWater Environment Federation

Print publication date May 2025

DOI10.2175/193864718825159821

Volume / Issue

Content sourceResiduals and Biosolids Conference

Word count9

Base text size -

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