Researchers at Princeton have developed a method to extract hydrogen from treated municipal wastewater, a development covered in a new Popular Mechanics feature. Editors Jamie Sorcher and Andrew Daniels explain how the approach — which involves chemical treatment steps including sulfuric acid — could nearly halve hydrogen production costs by using abundant waste streams. The piece highlights the method’s sustainability potential and also notes key challenges: scale-up, regulation, and lifecycle impact assessment.
Princeton Scientists Turn Wastewater Into Green Hydrogen — A Breakthrough That Could Nearly Halve Production Costs
A Green Hydrogen BreakthroughWLADIMIR BULGAR/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY - Getty Images
What if the next big leap in clean energy was flowing through our sewers? Researchers at Princeton say it might be: they’ve developed a promising method to extract hydrogen efficiently from treated municipal wastewater.
Popular Mechanics features the work in a new story and video, where editors Jamie Sorcher and Andrew Daniels explain why this approach could rewrite assumptions about hydrogen production. According to the reporting, the technique uses treated wastewater as a feedstock and involves chemical treatment steps (including a role for sulfuric acid) that together improve hydrogen yields while cutting energy and materials costs.
The most immediate attraction: the team estimates the process could nearly halve the cost of producing green hydrogen compared with some conventional methods. That reduction comes from using abundant waste streams as raw material, lowering the need for fresh water and potentially reducing electricity input or expensive catalysts.
Beyond economics, the researchers and Popular Mechanics argue the approach could deliver multiple sustainability wins: turning a disposal problem into a fuel source, easing water-energy tradeoffs, and creating decentralized production opportunities near wastewater treatment plants. The story imagines far-reaching uses — from powering cars and planes to supplementing grid energy — while emphasizing that the work is at a research stage.
Caveats and Next Steps: The method shows promise in lab and early pilot tests, but it faces typical hurdles before widespread deployment: scale-up, regulatory approval, lifecycle environmental assessments, and integration with existing treatment and energy infrastructure. More data will be needed to verify long-term costs, emissions, and operational challenges.
Watch the full episode of "The Astounding Pop Mech Show" featuring Jamie Sorcher and Andrew Daniels at PopularMechanics.com to see how the technique works in more detail and what experts say about its potential.
Bottom line: Turning treated wastewater into green hydrogen could be an efficient, sustainable complement to other clean-fuel technologies — but it will require further validation and scaling before it reshapes global energy systems.
