City of La Crosse Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade Completed

Published on April 21, 2026

The City of La Crosse Wastewater Treatment Plant Upgrade has been completed. The project, which began May 2021, included a major sustainability upgrade to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) turning a traditional infrastructure facility into a green energy producer. We are excited about these improvements. 

Key improvements included: 

• A higher level of treatment for cleaner, safer water return to the environment.
• Better management of solids producing high-quality, safe, treated materials that can be reused as fertilizer.
• An enhanced digestion process will increase our capacity to break down waste, producing more methane gas, a sustainable fuel.
• A 750 kW combined heat and power methane generator was installed in partnership with Xcel Energy, to turn methane produced during treatment into electricity to power the plant, significantly reducing energy costs.
• For the project, Xcel Energy combined three existing electric services at the WWTP into one main electric service. This critical work allows the plant to coordinate their own shutdowns, significantly lowers monthly costs and utilizes a single point for the methane generator.
• The methane generator allows the WWTP to generate its own energy to offset usage from the grid and advance the City of La Crosse goals towards its energy and sustainability goals.
• An electric vehicle charger has been added, which will be connected directly to the renewable electricity produced on-site. 

These upgrades are an example of how the City of La Crosse Wastewater Treatment Facility continues to work towards sustainability, with benefits for both the community and the environment. For more information visit Wastewater Utility.