Hamilton is one of only a handful of Canadian cities that has expanded the appetite of anaerobic digestion to create enough energy to run its wastewater treatment facilities as well as generate excess gas for profit. It’s a similar situation in the U.S.
These organisms, usually bacteria, are the type that thrives only in the absence, or near-absence, of oxygen. It’s their role in the treatment of sewage sludge, aided by new technology to produce energy-rich biogases, that is bringing them into the spotlight.