Water and Waste Team

The following assessment of the carbon emissions from waste and water in the City of Atlanta was conducted by Ramsey Cook and Laura Toscano as part of the Sustainable Cities Studio at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Ramsey Cook is a fifth year studying Environmental Engineering and Laura Toscano is a fourth year studying Civil Engineering. They are both minoring in Sustainable Cities.

The Water/Waste Team aimed to quantify the equivalent carbon emissions from wastewater, water, and solid waste processing. In doing so, the team calculated the carbon emissions associated with the electricity used in the operation of water and wastewater treatment facilities (scope 2 emissions) as well as the direct methane and nitrous oxide emissions from the physical treatment of wastewater (scope 1 emissions) and direct methane and carbon dioxide emissions from landfills (scope 3 emissions).