Researchers at RIT are developing biodiesel from microalgae grown in wastewater.
They say the project is doubly "green" because algae consume nitrates and phosphates and reduce bacteria and toxins in the water.
The end result is clean wastewater and stock for promising biofuel.
The hope is to channel the purified wastewater back into receiving bodies of water at treatment plants while the biodiesel can fuel buses, construction and farm equipment.
Researchers also say algae could replace those black puffs of exhaust from diesel with cleaner emissions.
Northern Biodiesel, located in Wayne County, will purify the lipids from the algae and convert them into biodiesel for the RIT researchers.