Wastewater Guide

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE AND ENERGY STRATEGY GUIDES

Energy Efficiency in

Water and WastewaterFacilitiesA Guide to Developing and ImplementingGreenhouse Gas Reduction Programs

Energy Efficiency

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

2013

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EPAs Local Government Climate and EnergyStrategy SeriesTe Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Seriesprovides a comprehensive, straightorward overview o green-house gas (GHG) emissions reduction strategies or local governments. opics include energy efficiency, transportation,community planning and design, solid waste and materials management, and renewable energy. City, county, territorial,

tribal, and regional government staff, and elected officials can use these guides to plan, implement, and evaluate theirclimate change mitigation and energy projects.

Each guide provides an overview o project benefits, policy mechanisms, investments, key stakeholders, and other imple-mentation considerations. Examples and case studies highlighting achievable results rom programs implemented incommunities across the United States are incorporated throughout the guides.

While each guide stands on its own, the entire series contains many interrelated strategies that can be combined to createcomprehensive, cost-effective programs that generate multiple benefits. For example, efforts to improve energy efficiencycan be combined with transportation and community planning programs to reduce GHG emissions, decrease energy andtransportation costs, improve air quality and public health, and enhance quality o lie.

LOCAL GOVERNMENT CLIMATE AND ENERGY STRATEGY SERIES

All documents are available at: www.epa.gov/statelocalclimate/resources/strategy-guides.html.

ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency in Local Government Operations

Energy Efficiency in K12 Schools

Energy Efficiency in Affordable Housing

Energy-Efficient Product Procurement

Combined Heat and Power

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities

TRANSPORTATION

ransportation Control Measures

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DESIGN

Smart Growth

SOLID WASTE AND MATERIALS MANAGEMENT

Resource Conservation and Recovery

RENEWABLE ENERGY

Green Power Procurement

On-Site Renewable Energy Generation

Landfill Gas Energy

Please note:All Web addresses in this document were working as o the time o publication, but links may break over timeas sites are reorganized and content is moved.

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CONTENTS

Executive Summary_________________________________________________________________ v

1. Overview _________________________________________________________________________1

2. Benefits of Improving Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities_____3

3. Planning and Implementation Approaches ______________________________________ 6

4. Key Participants ________________________________________________________________ 16

5. Foundations for Program Development________________________________________ 20

6. Strategies for Effective Program Implementation ______________________________ 21

Strategies for Developing an Energy Efficiency Program__________________________________22

Strategies for Engaging the Community _______________________________________________ 23

7. Investment and Financing Opportunities ______________________________________ 24Investment _______________________________________________________________________ 24

Financing ________________________________________________________________________ 25

Financial Vehicles ______________________________________________________________25

Funding Sources _______________________________________________________________ 26

8. Federal, State, and Other Program Resources __________________________________ 28

Federal Programs __________________________________________________________________28

State Programs ____________________________________________________________________ 29

Other Programs ___________________________________________________________________ 30

9. Case Studies ____________________________________________________________________ 32

City of OFallon, Missouri ___________________________________________________________ 32

Program Initiation ______________________________________________________________ 32

Program Features_______________________________________________________________ 32

Program Results ________________________________________________________________ 33

Greater Lawrence Sanitary District, North Andover, Massachusetts_________________________ 33

Program Initiation ______________________________________________________________ 33

Program Features_______________________________________________________________ 34Program Results ________________________________________________________________ 35

10. Additional Examples and Information Resources _____________________________ 36

11. References ____________________________________________________________________ 45

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Developing and ImplementingEnergy Efficiency Programs

Saving energy through energy efficiency improve-ments can cost less than generating, transmitting, anddistributing energy rom power plants, and providesmultiple economic and environmental benefits. Energysavings can reduce operating costs or local govern-ments, reeing up resources or additional investmentsin energy efficiency and other priorities. Energyefficiency can also help reduce air pollution and GHGemissions, improve energy security and independence,and create jobs.

Local governments can promote energy efficiencyin their jurisdictions by improving the efficiency o

municipal acilities and operations and encouragingenergy efficiency improvements in their residential,commercial, and industrial sectors. Te energyefficiency guides in this series describe the processo developing and implementing strategies, usingreal-world examples, or improving energy efficiencyin local government operations (see the guides onlocal government operations, energy efficiency inK12 schools, energy-efficient product procure-ment, and combined heat and power) as well as inthe community.

Energy Efficiency in Water andWastewater Facilities

Tis guide describes how water and wastewateracilities can lead by example and achieve multiplebenefits by improving the energy efficiency o theirnew, existing, and renovated buildings and their day-to-day operations. It is designed to be used by acilitymanagers, energy and environment staff, local govern-ment officials, and mayors and city councils.

Readers o the guide should come away with an under-standing o options to improve the energy efficiencyo water and wastewater acilities. Readers should alsounderstand the steps and considerations involved indeveloping and implementing these energy efficiencyimprovements, as well as an awareness o expectedinvestment and unding opportunities.

RELATED GUIDES IN THIS SERIES

Energy Efficiency:Energy Efficiency in LocalGovernment Operations

Local governments can implement energy-saving

measures in existing local government acilities, new

and green buildings, and day-to-day operations. Effortsto improve energy efficiency in water and wastewater

acilities can be combined with other energy-saving

measures to create a comprehensive municipal energy

efficiency strategy.

Community Planning and Design:Smart Growth

Smart Growth involves encouraging development that

serves the economy, the community, and the environ-

ment. A community that adopts smart growth prin-

ciples may develop policies that optimize the siting owater and wastewater treatment systems to reduce the

energy needed to pump water to and rom members o

the community.

Energy Efficiency:Combined Heat and Power

Combined heat and power (CHP), also known as

cogeneration, reers to the simultaneous production

o electricity and thermal energy rom a single uel

source. Wastewater acilities can install anaerobic

digesters that generate methane, which can be burned

in a CHP system on site to heat and power the acility.

Renewable Energy:Landfill Gas Energy

Landfill gas energy technologies capture methane

rom landfills to prevent it rom being emitted to the

atmosphere, reducing landfill methane emissions by

6090%. Te process o landfill gas recovery and use is

similar to that o recovering methane rom anaerobic

digesters, and could be applied to water and wastewater

treatment acilities situated near landfills.

Renewable Energy:On-Site RenewableEnergy Generation

Local governments can implement on-site renewable

energy generation by installing wind turbines, solar

panels, and other renewable energy generating tech-

nologies. Water and wastewater acilities with adequate

land or roo area could install on-site renewable energy

generators, complementing their efforts to reduce

GHG emissions through energy efficiency.

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

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Te guide describes the benefits o energy efficiency inwater and wastewater acilities (Section 2); a step-by-step approach to improving energy efficiency in newand existing water and wastewater acilities (Section 3);key participants and their roles (Section 4); the policymechanisms that acilities have used to support energyefficiency programs in their operations (Section 5);implementation strategies or effective programs

(Section 6); investment and financing opportunities(Section 7); ederal, state, and other programs thatmay be able to help water and wastewater acilitieswith inormation or financial and technical assistance(Section 8); and finally two case studies o water orwastewater acilities that have successully improvedenergy efficiency in their operations (Section 9).Additional examples o successul implementation areprovided throughout the guide.

Relationships to Other Guides

in the Series

Local governments can use other guides in this seriesto develop robust climate and energy programs thatincorporate complementary strategies. For example,local governments can combine efforts to improveenergy efficiency in water and wastewater acilitieswith energy efficiency in local government opera-tions, smart growthstrategies, combined heat andpowersystems, landfill gas energy, and on-site renew-able energy generationto help achieve additional

economic, environmental, and social benefits.

See the box on page vor more inormation aboutthese complementary strategies. Additional connec-tions to related strategies are highlighted in the guide.

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy SerieEXECUTIVE SUMMARYvi

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Energy Efficiencyin Water andWastewater Facilities

1. OVERVIEWEnergy use can account or as much as 10 percent o alocal governments annual operating budget (U.S. DOE,2005a). A significant amount o this municipal energyuse occurs at water and wastewater treatment acilities.With pumps, motors, and other equipment operating24 hours a day, seven days a week, water and waste-water acilities can be among the largest consumers oenergy in a communityand thus among the largestcontributors to the communitys total GHG emissions.Nationally, the energy used by water and wastewaterutilities accounts or 35 percent o typical U.S. munic-ipal energy budgets (NYSERDA, 2008). Electricity useaccounts or 2540 percent o the operating budgets orwastewater utilities and approximately 80 percent odrinking water processing and distribution costs(NYSERDA, 2008). Drinking water and wastewatersystems account or approximately 34 percent oenergy use in the United States, resulting in the emis-sions o more than 45 million tons o GHGs annually(U.S. EPA, 2012b).

WATER USE EFFICIENCY

Water and wastewater utilities can also reduce energy

use by promoting the efficient use of water, which

reduces the amount of energy needed to treat and

distribute water. In California, for example, urban water

use accounts for 70% of the electricity associated with

water supply and treatment (Elkind, 2011). Water use

efficiency can also help avoid the need to develop new

water supplies and infrastructure. This guide provides

some information on approaches to improve water use

efficiency (such as installing low-flow plumbing fixtures),

but concentrates primarily on direct energy efficiency

improvements in facilities.

More information on water use efficiency for water and

wastewater utilities is available from:

EPAs Water Efficiency Strategies page: http://water.

epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/wec_wp.cfm

EPAs WaterSense site: http://epa.gov/watersense/

pubs/utilities.html

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series 1. OVERVIEW

Tese economic and environmental costs can bereduced by improving the energy efficiency o waterand wastewater acilities equipment and operations,by promoting the efficient use o water (see text boxon this page), and by capturing the energy in waste-water to generate electricity and heat. Improvementsin energy efficiency allow the same work to be donewith less energy; improvements in water use efficiency

reduce demand or water, which in turn reduces theamount o energy required to treat and distributewater. Capturing the energy in wastewater by burningbiogas rom anaerobic digesters in a combined heatand power system allows wastewater acilities toproduce some or all o their own electricity and spaceheating, turning them into net zero consumerso energy.

Local governments can also reduce energy use at waterand wastewater acilities through measures such as

water conservation, water loss prevention, stormwaterreduction, and sewer system repairs to prevent ground-water infiltration. Measures to reduce water consump-tion, water loss, and wastewater lead to reductionsin energy use, and result in savings associated withrecovering and treating lower quantities o wastewaterand treating and delivering lower quantities o water.

Tis guide ocuses primarily on strategies orimproving energy efficiency in water and wastewateracilities. Opportunities or improving energy effi-ciency in these acilities all into three basic categories:

1) equipment upgrades, 2) operational modifications,and 3) modifications to acility buildings. Equipmentupgrades ocus on replacing items such as pumpsand blowers with more efficient models. Operationalmodifications involve reducing the amount o energyrequired to perorm specific unctions, such as waste-water treatment. Operational modifications typicallyresult in greater savings than equipment upgrades, andmay not require capital investments (U.S. EPA, 2002).Modifications to buildings, such as installing energy-efficient lighting, windows, and heating and coolingequipment, reduce the amount o energy consumed byacility buildings themselves.

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FIGURE 1. ENERGY INTENSITY OF EACH STAGE IN THE WATER USE CYCLE, WITH KEYOPPORTUNITIES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY, RENEWABLE ENERGY, AND WATER EFFICIENCY.Sources: California Energy Commission, 2005; U.S. EPA, 2010a; U.S. EPA, 2010b; Energy Center of Wisconsin, 2003

Treated

Wastewater

Treated Source

Wastewater

Collection & Treatment

Water Treatment

10016,000 kWh/MG

Water End Uses

Conveyance014,000 kWh/MG

Treated Wastewater Discharge

Wastew

ater

Treated

wastew

aterma

ybeuse

dinapp

ropriat

eapplicatio

ns,

avoidin

gsome

ofthre

energy

useint

hestep

sabove

Distribution7001,200 kWh/MG

Energy Opportunities

Install SCADA software

Use efficient pumping systems (pumps,motors, variable frequency drives)

Install efficient disinfection equipment Implement lighting,

HVAC improvementsEnergy Opportunities Use efficient pumping systems (pumps,

motors, variable frequency drives)

Reduce distribution leaks Implement automatic meter reading

Energy Opportunities Improve efficiency of aeration equipment

and anaerobic digestion

Implement cogeneration and other onsiterenewable power options (e.g., solar panels,wind turbines, low-head hydro)

Implement lighting, HVAC improvements Fix leaks

Install SCADA software

Use efficient pumping systems (pumps,motors, variable frequency drives)

Recycle water

Energy Opportunities Use efficient pumping systems (pumps,

motors, variable frequency drives)

Capture energy from water moving downhill

Energy Opportunities

Use efficient pumping systems (pumps,motors, variable frequency drives)

Capture energy from water movingdownhill

Store water ro avoid pumpingat times of peak energy cost

Notes:

Energy intensity is given in kilowatt-hours (kWh) per million gallons (MG).

The energy efficiency opportunities shown are examples, not an exhaustive list.

The ranges in energy intensity shown here are for California, whose water and wastewater sectors have higher energy intensities overallthan the rest of the United States. However, the energy intensity of most U.S. water and wastewater utilities will likely fall within theseranges (U.S. DOE, 2006).

The ranges in energy intensity at each stage in the cycle are related to differences in factors such as the water source (deep aquifers being

the most energy-intensive to pump); the volume of water transported; the distances and topography between sources, treatment plants,and end users; the quality of the source water; the intended end uses; and the technologies used to treat water and wastewater.

The energy use associated with transport of wastewater from end users to wastewater treatment facility is included under WastewaterCollection and Treatment.

For EPAs latest guidelines on water reuse, please see http://www.waterreuseguidelines.org/.

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Serie1. OVERVIEW2

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Figure 1shows typical ranges o energy use at eachstage o the water use cycle, along with key oppor-tunities or improving energy efficiency, conservingwater, and using renewable energy. Te processes opumping and treatment are the largest consumers oenergy in the water use cycle. In most cases, pumpingis the largest source o energy use beore, during,and afer treatment o water. For wastewater, where

energy-intensive technologies such as mechanicalaerators, blowers, and diffusers are used to keepsolids suspended and to provide oxygen or biologicaldecomposition, treatment accounts or the largestshare o energy use (Caliornia Energy Commission,2005). Facility managers can perorm energy auditsor install monitoring devices that eed into theirSupervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)system1to learn where energy is being used in theiracility and identiy opportunities or energy efficiencyimprovements.

Te most effective way or communities to improveenergy efficiency in their water and wastewater acili-ties is to use a systematic, portolio-wide approachthat considers all o the acilities within their jurisdic-tion. Tis approach allows communities to prioritizeresources, benchmark and track perormance acrossall acilities, and establish cross-acility energymanagement strategies. A portolio-wide approachnot only results in larger total reductions in energycosts and GHG emissions, but enables communitiesto offset the upront costs o more substantial energy

efficiency projects with the savings rom other projects.Adopting a portolio-wide approach can also help localgovernments generate greater momentum or energyefficiency programs, which can lead to sustainedimplementation and continued savings.

Beore developing a portolio-wide approach, localgovernments first need to understand the stepsinvolved in identiying and implementing energy effi-ciency improvements at individual acilities. Tis guideis designed to help local governments understand howto work with municipal or privately owned water andwastewater utilities to identiy energy efficiency oppor-tunities. It provides inormation on how water andwastewater utilities have planned and implementedprograms to improve energy efficiency in existingacilities and operations, as well as in the siting anddesign o new acilities (see the text box on page 5).It also includes inormation on the benefits o energy

1 A SCADA system is a computer system used to monitor and control indus-trial, inrastructure, or acility-based processes.

efficiency improvements in water and wastewater acil-ities, expected investments and unding opportunities,and case studies. Additional examples and inorma-tion resources are provided in Section 10,AdditionalExamples and Inormation Resources.

Since this guide provides inormation and examples orboth the water and wastewater sectors, the icons below

are used to help readers quickly identiy examples andresources that ocus specifically on one type o acility:

Water acilities

Wastewater acilities

2.BENEFITS OF IMPROVING

ENERGY EFFICIENCY INWATER AND WASTEWATERFACILITIES

Improving energy efficiency in water and wastewateracilities can produce a range o environmental,economic, and other benefits, including:

Reduce air pollution and GHG emissions.Improvingenergy efficiency in water and wastewater acilities canhelp reduce GHG emissions and criteria air pollutants

by decreasing consumption o ossil uel-based energy.Fossil uel combustion or electricity generationaccounts or approximately 40 percent o the nationsemissions o carbon dioxide (CO

2), a principal GHG.

It also accounts or 67 percent and 23 percent o thenations sulur dioxide (SO

2) and nitrogen oxide (NO

x)

emissions, respectively. Tese pollutants can lead tosmog, acid rain, and airborne particulate matter thatcan cause respiratory problems or many people (U.S.EPA, 2011a; U.S. EPA, 2011b).2

2 According to EPA, energy use in commercial and industrial acilitiesaccounts or nearly 50 percent o all U.S. GHG emissions (U.S. EPA, 2011a).

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series 2. BENEFITS

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Te Green Bay, Wisconsin MetropolitanSewerage District has two treatment

plants that together serve more than 217,000 resi-dents. One o the treatment plants installed newenergy-efficient blowers in its first-stage aerationsystem, reducing electricity consumption by

50 percent and saving 2,144,000 kWh/year

enough energy to power 126 homesand avoidingnearly 1,480 metric tons o CO

2equivalent,3

roughly the amount emitted annually by 290 cars(U.S. EPA, 2010a; U.S. EPA, 2011d; U.S. EPA, 2011 ).

CHP FOR WASTEWATER FACILITIES

Wastewater facilities with an anaerobic digester can use

biogas generated by the digester to produce heat, and in

many cases electricity as well. As a rule of thumb, each

million gallons per day of wastewater flow can generate

enough biogas in an anaerobic digester to produce 26kilowatts of electric capacity and 2.4 million Btu per day

of thermal energy in a CHP system (U.S. EPA, 2011g).

Not all wastewater facilities use anaerobic digesters,

so CHP is not an option for all wastewater plants.

Furthermore, some facilities with anaerobic digesters

must rely on supplemental sources to provide enough

energy for electricity generation in their CHP system.

For more information on CHP in wastewater facilities,

see http://www.epa.gov/chp/documents/wwtf_

opportunities.pdf.

Reduce energy costs.Local governments can achievesignificant cost savings by increasing the efficiencyo the pumps and aeration equipment at a water orwastewater treatment plant. A 10 percent reductionin the energy use o U.S. drinking water and waste-water systems would collectively save approximately$400 million and 5 billion kWh annually (U.S. EPA,2011g). Facilities can also use other approaches toreduce energy costs, such as shifing energy use away

rom peak demand times to times when electricity ischeaper or (or wastewater plants) using CHP systemsto generate their own electricity and heat rom biogas.

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Serie2. BENEFITS4

3 Carbon dioxide equivalent is a measure used to compare the emissionsrom different GHGs based on their respective global warming potential(GWP). Carbon dioxide equivalents are commonly expressed as metric tons ocarbon dioxide equivalent (MCO

2e). Te carbon dioxide equivalent or a gas

is derived by multiplying the tons o the gas by the associated GWP. In otherwords, MCO

2e = (metric tons o a gas) * (GWP o the gas).

With more than two-thirds o theup-ront installation and maintenance

costs covered by the State o Minnesota and a localutility, the Albert Lea Waste Water reatmentPlant in Albert Lea, Minnesota developed a120-kW mictroturbine CHP system, which saves

the plant about $100,000 in annual energy costs.

About 70 percent o the savings resulted romreduced electricity and uel purchases, and the

remainder rom reduced maintenance costs. Teinstallation o the CHP system raised awareness atthe plant about energy use in general, and led to anumber o other energy efficiency improvements

and additional cost savings (U.S. EPA, 2011).

Support economic growth through job creation andmarket development.Investing in energy efficiencycan stimulate the local economy and spur develop-

ment o energy efficiency service markets. Te energyefficiency services sector accounted or an estimated830,000 jobs in 2010, and the number o jobs wasgrowing by 3 percent annually (ACEEE, 2012). Mosto these jobs are perormed locally by workers romrelatively small local companies because they typicallyinvolve installation or maintenance o equipment(ACEEE, 2012; Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, 2010).Furthermore, acilities that reduce their energy coststhrough efficiency upgrades can spend those savingselsewhere, ofen contributing to the local economy

(Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, 2010).

Demonstrate leadership.Investing in energy effi-ciency epitomizes responsible government steward-ship o tax dollars and sets an example or others toollow. By implementing energy efficiency and waterefficiency projects at water and wastewater acilities,a local government can demonstrate not only thedollars saved, but the environmental co-benefits thatare obtained rom reducing energy and water use.Installing energy-efficient products (e.g., more efficientpumps), water-efficient products (e.g., WaterSense

products), and renewable energy technologies (e.g.,solar panels) may acilitate broader adoption o thesetechnologies and strategies by the private sectorparticularly when communities publicize the economicand environmental benefits o their actions.

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In an initiative led by the citys currentmayor when he was alderman, a group o

residents and city staff led an initiative in 2008 todevelop a plan to make the City o Franklin,ennessee, more environmentally sustainable. Tisgroup created the citys 2009 Sustainability

Community Action Plan, which called or reduc-

tions in energy use and GHG emissions, anddirected Franklins utilities to become more

involved in energy efficiency audits. As part o itseffort to meet the action plans energy goals,Franklin participated in the ennessee Water andWastewater Utilities Partnership, co-sponsored by

EPA Region 4. Te partnership helped Franklinswater department identiy and implement oppor-tunities to reduce energy costs by more than$194,000 per yeara 13 percent reduction

through changes in operations and installingenergy-efficient lighting. Te improvements haveavoided more than 1,280 metric tons o GHG

emissions, equivalent to the annual emissions rompowering 125 homes (City o Franklin, 2009, 2012).

Improve energy and water security.Improvingenergy efficiency at a water or wastewater treatmentacility reduces electricity demand, avoiding the risk obrownouts or blackouts during high energy demandperiods and helping to avoid the need to build newpower plants. Water efficiency strategies reduce the

risk o water shortages, helping to ensure a reliable andcontinuous water supply.

Te East Bay Municipal Utility District

(EBMUD), which provides drinkingwater to 1.3 million customers and handles waste-water or 650,000 customers in the San Francisco

Bay Area, transormed itsel rom an energyconsumer to a net energy producer. By 2008 thedistrict had brought its GHG emissions back totheir 2000 level and then reduced them by an addi-

tional 24 percent the ollowing year, all while insu-lating itsel rom energy price fluctuations andsupply uncertainties (EBMUD, 2010). EMBUDstarted its energy transormation by cutting its

energy use requirements to the point where itsacilities now use 82 percent less energy than theCaliornia average or delivering 1 million gallons

o drinking water rom source to tap. It accom-plished these improvements through design

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Series 2. BENEFITS

eatures, such as delivering drinking water via

downhill pipes rather than using electric pumps,and through energy efficiency upgrades such asinstalling microturbine CHP units. EBMUDsremaining energy needs are met by renewable

energy systems, including hydropower, solar, andbiogas. Excess power produced by the renewablesprovides a source o income through sales o elec-

tricity into the grid (EBMUD, 2012).

Extend the life of infrastructure/equipment.Energy-efficient equipment ofen has a longer service lie andrequires less maintenance than older, less efficienttechnologies (U.S. EPA Region 9, 2012a). Efforts toimprove water efficiency or promote water conserva-tion can also extend the lie o existing inrastructuredue to lower demand, and can avoid the need or costlyuture expansions.

SITING AND DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS FOR NEW

WATER AND WASTEWATER FACILITIES

While this guide focuses mainly on energy efficiency

improvements in existing facilities, energy use can also

play an important role in decisions about siting and

designing new water and wastewater facilities.

Distance and topography are important factors to

consider in siting: by reducing conveyance distances

where possible and using gravity rather than pumps,

water and wastewater utilities can reduce energy costs.

New facilities can also be designed from the groundup to be more energy efficient and to use efficient

equipment.

Wastewater utilities may be able to achieve additional

savings by decentralizing new treatment facilities. Small,

local treatment facilities reduce the energy costs of

conveyance and make treated wastewater available

for local reuse. Decentralized wastewater facilities are

being implemented at the scales of individual buildings,

neighborhoods, and entire watersheds. For example, the

Solaire high-rise apartment building in New York City has

its own wastewater plant in the basement and collects

stormwater from its roof. The stormwater and treated

wastewater are used for cooling the building, flushingtoilets, and irrigation (Decentralized Water Resources

Collaborative, 2012).

For more information on decentralized wastewater

treatment, see www.decentralizedwater.org.

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Protect public health.Improvements in energy effi-ciency at water and wastewater acilities can reduce airand water pollution rom the power plants that supplyelectricity to those acilities, resulting in cleaner airand human health benefits (U.S. EPA Region 9, 2012b).Equipment upgrades may also allow acilities toincrease their capacity or treating water or wastewateror improve the perormance o treatment processes,

reducing the potential impacts o sea level rise, treat-ment ailures, and risk o waterborne illness.

Millbrae, Caliornia implemented aprogram to divert inedible kitchen

grease rom the citys wastewater system, where it

could clog sewer lines and cause releases o rawsewage into the environment, posing risks topublic health. Waste haulers collect the grease

daily rom area restaurants and deliver it to the

wastewater treatment acility, where it is processedin digester tanks to create biogas. Beore theprogram was implemented, the grease ended up in

area landfills where its decomposition producedmethane emissions. Te treatment plants digestersystem produces enough biogas to generate about

1.7 million kWh o electricity annually, meetingroughly 80 percent o the plants power needs(Renewable Energy World, 2006).

3.PLANNING ANDIMPLEMENTATIONAPPROACHES

Tis section describes a seven-step process that wateror wastewater acilities can ollow to develop, imple-ment, and sustain energy efficiency programs (seeFigure 2). Tis approach can help local water andwastewater acilities achieve the range o benefitsdescribed in Section 2, Benefits o Improving EnergyEfficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities.

Te steps in this process are consistent with thePlan-Do-Check-Act management systems approach,which is a circular evolving process that ocuses oncontinual improvement over time. Tis approach isdescribed in the ENERGY SAR Guidelines or Energy

Management(U.S. EPA, 2011e). EPAs Office o Waterhas expanded the plan-do-check-act approach to aseven-step process. Te steps are outlined in Ensuring a

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Serie3. PLANNING6

Sustainable Future: An Energy Management Guidebookor Water and Wastewater Utilities(U.S. EPA, 2008),which serves as the primary source or the guidancepresented below. Several EPA Regions are currentlyworking with water and wastewater acilities to helpthem implement energy management programs basedon the Ensuring a Sustainable Futureguidebooksapproach. Similarly, local governments can work

with their water and wastewater acilities to applythese steps.

EPAs Planning or Sustainability Handbook or Waterand Wastewater Utilitiesdescribes key steps orintegrating sustainability considerations, includingenergy efficiency, into a utilitys planning process.Te handbook is available at: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/upload/EPA-s-Planning-for-Sustainability-Handbook.pdf. EPA has also developedtools that can help with the planning process, including

the Energy Management Sel-Assessment ool orWater and Wastewater Utilities, available at: http://www.epa.gov/region9/waterinfrastructure/howto.html

MISSOURI WATER UTILITIES PARTNERSHIP

EPA Region 7, the Missouri Department of Natural

Resources, the Missouri University of Science and

Technology, and the Siemens Corporation partnered

together to create the Missouri Water Utilities Partnership

(MOWUP). Through a series of workshops, MOWUP has

helped eight communities to:

track their energy use,

prioritize energy-saving opportunities,

identify funding options,

develop communication networks,

evaluate renewable energy options, and

develop near- and long-term plans for energy

management.

One of the lessons learned from the initiative was the

importance of collaboration and learning from one

another. Each water utility is unique and faces different

challenges.

The communities are projected to reduce their electricity

use by more than 8 million kWh per year and avoid 5,500

metric tons of CO2equivalent annuallyroughly the same

amount emitted per year by 1,000 passenger cars.

More information about one of the communities involved

in the partnership can be found in Section 9, Case Studies.

Source: U.S. EPA, 2011c

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Plan Establish the facilitys energy policy and overallenergy improvement goals.An organizations energy

Step 1: Get Ready policy is a statement defining its intentions and prin-ciples or energy management. Signed by top managers

Beore a water/wastewater acility can implement an and communicated to all employees, the energy policyenergy management program and sustain it success- provides a ramework or action and setting specificully over time, the acility must take the time to estab- energy improvement goals and milestones.lish a strong oundation.

FIGURE 2. STEPS FOR DESIGNING, IMPLEMENTING, AND SUSTAINING ENERGY EFFICIENCYIMPROVEMENTS IN WATER AND WASTEWATER FACILITIES

Plan

Step 1. Get Ready Establish the facilitys energy policy and overall

energy improvement goals Secure and maintain management commitment,

involvement and visibility

Choose an energy fenceline Establish energy improvement program leadership Secure and maintain employee and management buy-in

Step 2. Assess Current Energy Baseline Status Establish a baseline and benchmark facilities Perform an energy audit Identify activities and operations that consume the most energy

or are inefficient

Step 3. Establish an Energy Vision and Priorities for Improvement Identify, evaluate, and prioritize potential energy improvement projects and activities

Step 4. Identify Energy Objectives and Targets Establish energy objectives and targets for priority improvement areas

Define performance indicators

Do

Step 5. Implement Energy Improvement Programs and Build a Management System to

Support Them Develop action plans to implement energy improvements Get top managements commitment and approval Develop management system operating controls to support energy improvements Begin implementation once approvals and systems are in place

Check

Step 6. Monitor and Measure Results of the Energy Improvement Management Program Review what the facility currently monitors and measures to track energy use Determine what else the facility needs to monitor and measure its priority energy

improvement operations Develop a plan for maintaining the efficiency of energy equipment

Review the facilitys progress toward energy targets Take corrective action or make adjustment when the facility is not progressing toward its

energy goals Monitor/reassess compliance status

Act

Step 7. Maintain the Energy Improvement Program Continually align energy goals with business/operation goals Apply lessons learned Expand involvement of management and staff Communicate success

Based on U.S. EPA, 2008.

Check

Plan

Do

Act

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Determining goals or energy improvements in thebeginning is important or measuring success aferthe project, and or ensuring that the project stays ontrack. Tese goals can be quantitative (e.g., reduceoverall energy use by 25 percent in three years) orqualitative (e.g., implement a community educationprogram, setting an example or other acilities).Facilities may want to develop a mix o quantitative

and qualitative goals to cover a range o quantifiableand non-quantifiable actions. Whenever possible, thesegoals can be developed as part o the acilitys ongoingplanning processes.

Tese goals can be ambitious but realistic. A acilitycan review case studies and examplessuch asthose provided in Section 10,Additional Examplesand Inormation Resourcesto see what similaracilities have been able to achieve through certain

energy improvements. Water and wastewater acili-ties can ofen achieve a 20 to 30 percent reduction inenergy use through energy efficiency upgrades andoperational measures (U.S. EPA, 2010a). Setting goalsaround or above achievements by past projects isgenerally reasonable.

Along with establishing goals or energy efficiency

improvements, a acility may consider adding goalsto meet the energy requirements o any actions ittakes to adapt to the risks o uture climate change.EPA has developed an adaptive response rameworkthat can help acilities identiy and adjust to thepotential impacts o climate change on water suppliesand wastewater treatment. See the text box belowon climate change adaptation and water utilities ormore inormation.

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION AND WATER UTILITIES

Climate change poses many challenges to water and wastewater utilities through impacts such as extreme weather events, sea

level rise, shifting precipitation and runoff patterns, and temperature changes. EPAs Climate Ready Water Utilities (CRWU) program

(http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/) provides resources to help the water sector adapt to a changing climate

by promoting a clear understanding of climate science and adaptation options.

CRWU has developed a climate ready adaptive response framework that water and wastewater

facilities can use to prepare for the impacts of climate change. The framework allows facilities

to maintain their readiness through an approach that recognizes the diversity of conditions

facing a facility and uncertainty regarding the nature, timing, and magnitude

of local climate impacts. The framework involves an iterative, continual,

and adaptive process, as illustrated below. Although mainly focused

on climate adaptation, mitigation of greenhouse gases and energy

management is a key aspect of the adaptive response framework.Additional information on the adaptive response framework can be

found at: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/

upload/epa817f12009.pdf.

CRWU has also developed tools and other resources for water and

wastewater facilities, including:

An online searchable database of freely available resources,

available at: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/watersecurity/

climate/toolbox.html.

The Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool(CREAT), which

helps drinking water and wastewater facility owners and operators understand the

impacts of climate change, assess potential risks to their utilities, and evaluate adaptation

options. CREAT 2.0 contains energy management resources and allows a user to consider the

energy requirements for adaptation options, available at: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/creat.cfm.

AnAdaptation Strategies Guide for Water Utilitiesto help drinking water and wastewater utilities gain a better understanding of

what climate change-related impacts they may face in their region and what adaptation strategies can be used to prepare their

system for those impacts. This guide also includes information on how drinking water and wastewater utilities can approach

sustainable practices, specifically green infrastructure and energy management activities. It is available at: http://water.epa.gov/

infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/upload/epa817k11003.pdf.

Preparing for Extreme Events: Workshop Planner for the Water Sector, which contains all of the materials a drinking water or

wastewater utility would need to plan a customized workshop that focuses on planning for more frequent extreme events. The

materials on the Workshop Planner encourage utilities to work with their local communities and include them in the planning

process, available at: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/watersecurity/climate/upload/epa817f13001.pdf.

Awareness

Adaptation

Mitigation

Partnership

Community

Climate Ready

Policies

Source: U.S. EPA 2012d

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In 2009, the City o St. Peters, Missouriestablished a goal o reducing energy use

by 10 percent at its wastewater acility. Te city set itsgoal under the Energy Management Initiative orWater and Wastewater Utilities, a pilot program ledby the Missouri Water Utilities Partnership. As aresult o this program, the city implemented

upgrades such as a new SCADA system, variablerequency drives, and new mixing equipment. Teacility surpassed its 10 percent energy-savings goalin 2010, avoiding GHG emissions o nearly550 metric tons o CO

2equivalentabout as much as

the amount emitted annually by 114 cars (U.S. EPARegion 7, 2011a).

Secure and maintain management commitment,involvement, and visibility.Te most compellingargument in avor o energy efficiency improve-ments is that they represent an opportunity to ree upresources that would otherwise be spent on energycosts, allowing water and wastewater acilities to usethose resources to make other needed improvements.Communicating these benefits to the appropriatemanagers and obtaining their commitment rom thebeginning is crucial. Whether it is the local/countywater board, the mayor o the town/city, or the acilitymanagement, the key decision makers when it comesto purchasing, budget, and operations are importantplayers in achieving a successul program. Keepingmanagement updated with the progress is also impor-

tant to the long-term sustainability o the plan.

Choose an energy fenceline (i.e., the part o theacility and its operations that you want to ocus on).See the text box below. Choosing the right energyenceline is important to success. Usually the plantoperators will have a good idea o where improvementsneed to be made and where issues exist such as highmaintenance costs or inefficiency.

Identify staff (or a champion) to lead the facilitys

energy management program.Te leadership or

the energy management program will be the person

or team responsible or program implementation. Te

leader or leadership team will meet with management

to communicate successes, as well as any barriers or

other challenges that the project encounters. Similarly,

the energy team will be managements contact or

inormation on the program. Te energy team will be

involved in establishing deadlines, delegating tasks,

and evaluating the project at various stages. See the text

box below.

ENERGY FENCELINE

The energy fenceline is the scope of operations

where the energy improvement goals will be focused

and implemented. It is important to think about which

operations or areas of the facility have the most outdated

equipment, where the energy use is highest, and how

expensive it would be to upgrade. Examples of energy

fencelines include the operation as a whole, biosolids

management, or aeration equipment.

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ESTABLISH ENERGY MANAGEMENT LEADERSHIP

Energy management leadership can consist of

one motivated person who champions an energy

management program in smaller water/wastewater

facilities or a few people that have led the efforts at alarger facility. One leader may need to begin the program

and eventually gain support from others to establish

a team. While a large team is not necessary to ensure

success, a team of people from different areas within

the facility can encourage employee buy-in, help secure

management support, and can provide an avenue for

creative input from a diverse group of employees.

Te City o Columbus, Georgia, decided toreduce operating costs by improving

energy efficiency at the municipally ownedColumbus Water Works. It took the leadership o theacilitys president and senior vice president o opera-tions to switch to an energy-efficient operation. Usinga team approach, senior leaders encouraged opera-tors, team leaders, and other staff members topropose plans to increase efficiency. Managers andteam leaders also have biannual seminars on energyefficiency. Te results rom this approach have beenimpressive. Columbus Water Works has re-engi-neered and ully automated its entire plant. Te

acility retrofitted older equipment, installed adjust-able speed drives, and automated speed controls orpumps. It has made significant investments inenergy-efficient motors, with one project alonesaving the acility $250,000 in energy costs(a 25 percent reduction). Te motor retrofit projecthad less than a 1-year payback period and receivedthe Governor o Georgias Award or PollutionPrevention (Alliance to Save Energy, 2011).

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Secure and maintain employee and/or manage-ment buy-in.It is important to have all members othe acility operations involved and supporting theenergy management program. Employees will be theones executing the plan, and it will be easier i theyare convinced rom the start that energy efficiency isimportant to the acility.

Step 2: Assess Current Energy Baseline Status

Developing a current energy baseline helps a acilityassess its current energy use and provides a level orcomparison with uture improvements. Facilities canalso use their energy baseline to determine whethertheir energy management goals are reasonable: aacility that is already highly energy efficient will needto spend more to urther improve its energy efficiencyby a given percentage than a acility that has ampleroom or improvement.

Establish a baseline and benchmark facilities.Teenergy team can use a tool such as EPAs ENERGYSAR energy measurement and tracking tool,Portolio Manager, to track energy use and costs andto measure improvements over a baseline. PortolioManager, which includes a benchmarking componentspecific to wastewater acilities, converts all types oenergy to a common unit and provides a GHG emis-sions estimate or each acility. In addition, wastewatertreatment plants that meet certain criteria can receivean ENERGY SAR perormance score rom 1 to 100.

Tis score offers managers the ability to compare theenergy use o their plants with that o other similarplants nationwide. For inormation on PortolioManager and ree training opportunities, visit: http://www.energystar.gov/waterwastewater.

EPA also offers the Energy Use Assessment ool, whichwas designed or small- and mid-sized water andwastewater plants. Te tool allows water/wastewateracilities to conduct a utility bill analysis (looking atenergy consumption over time compared with volumetreated) to determine baseline energy consumptionand cost (in total and broken down to the process leveland equipment level). In addition, the tool highlightsareas o inefficiency that acilities may find useul inidentiying and prioritizing energy improvement proj-ects. o download the tool, visit: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/energy_use.cfm.

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Perform an energy audit.Perorming an energy auditis the next step toward developing a successul energymanagement program. An energy audit helps theacility target the most inefficient aspects o its opera-tions. Some acilities may opt to perorm a compre-hensive site energy audit based on an analysis o utilitybills and equipment metering data. Others may startwith a general walk-through audit that identifies high-

priority areas to study in greater depth. Dependingon the degree to which equipment and processes aremetered, a more detailed ollow-up audit can ocuson one type o equipment or one operation within theacility. Te level o disaggregation in the analysis maydepend on the level o detail that the acility is able togather rom its electric utility bill. Te audit may beperormed by the electric utility or a third party, suchas an independent energy services company. Someelectrical utilities offer ree audits to their customersto help them reduce their energy use. Inormation

on plant energy audits and a directory o third-partyservice providers who can help with audits is availableat: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=industry.bus_industry_plant_energy_auditing.I the acilityhas already perormed energy audits in the past, itcan revisit and evaluate its previous audits to look orpotential energy-saving opportunities.

Caliornia energy company Pacific Gas &

Electric (PG&E) provides energy auditsto industrial, agricultural, and large commercialclients to help identiy energy-saving actions.PG&E perormed an energy audit or the Dublin

San Ramon Services District (DSRSD), a SanFrancisco-area drinking water and wastewaterutility, to help make a planned expansion more

energy efficient. Te 11.5 million-gallon-per-day(MGD) acility needed to expand to 17 MGD, anddecided to include a sand filtration recycled watertreatment plant and distribution acilities to

provide water or irrigation o parks, schoolgrounds, gol courses, and roadway medians. Not

only did PG&E perorm an energy audit orDSRSD, but also provided the water and waste-

water utility with $67,000 in incentives to helpoffset the additional $2.2 million that was incurredto build a more efficient plant. Te total estimated

savings or DSRSD was 2,232,000 kWh, or$290,000 annually (PG&E 2009).

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Identify activities and operations that consume the

most energy or are inefficient.Te energy team andacility operators can use inormation rom the energyaudit to identiy the most energy-intensive and/orinefficient activities and operations in the acility. Tisstep may require comparisons with the rated efficiencylisted on equipment nameplates, or comparisons withsimilar models o equipment to get an idea o typicalenergy consumption.

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Depending on who is involved in the acilitys lead-ership, different members o the operation couldbe brought together to identiy where efficiencyimprovements may be appropriate. Te plant opera-tors usually have the best understanding o equipmentperormance. Building managers may have ideas aboutways to improve efficiency o lighting, HVAC, or otheraspects o the building itsel.

Te energy team can develop an inventory to identiythe operations and pieces o equipment in the acilityconsuming the most energy. Te inventory can includethe equipment names, nameplate horsepower (iapplicable), hours o operation per year, measuredpower consumption, and total kilowatt-hours o elec-trical consumption per year, and age (i applicable).Te team can gather and store this inormation usingEPAs Energy Use Assessment ool (available at:http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/sustain/energy_

use.cfm). In some cases, this inormation may alreadyhave been stored in a maintenance management systemor may have been collected by the auditors.

EXAMPLES OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS

The examples below represent illustrate a few of the

many actions that water and wastewater facilities can

take to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy

costs. For more examples, see U.S. EPA (2010a).

Water Facilities

Promote water efficiency and conservation, detect

and fix distribution leaks.Reducing demand for

water and fixing leaks in the distribution system can

reduce the amount of water that needs to be treated

and distributed. Note that water conservation can

ultimately reduce wastewater treatment needs

as well.

Wastewater Facilities

Improve efficiency of aeration equipment.Aeration

systems in wastewater plants typically account for

about half of a wastewater treatment plants energy

use. The use of improved system controls, energy-

efficient blowers, and energy-efficient diffusertechnologies can reduce costs in this area.

Move toward net zero energy.Biogas recovered

from sludge digesters can be burned to produce

electricity and heat buildings at the facility.

Both Water and Wastewater Facilities

Improve pumping efficiency.Ensuring that pumps

are sized appropriately and installing variable

frequency drives, whose speed varies to match flow

conditions, can reduce energy costs.

Improve efficiency of HVAC/lighting.Retrofits of

HVAC and lighting systems can have high initial

costs, but are generally cost-effective over the life ofthe investment. Efficient HVAC systems can reduce

energy use by 1040%.

Improve efficiency of operations.Installing

Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)

software can increase the efficiency of process

monitoring and operating control.

Source: U.S. EPA 2010a

TECHNOLOGIES FOR WATER AND WASTEWATER

UTILITIES

EPAs Technology Fact Sheets for Wastewater provide

information on a range of technologiesincluding tools

for energy managementthat could be implemented at

a wastewater treatment facility. These fact sheets include

information on treatment processes (e.g., disinfection,biological treatment) and wastewater equipment

(e.g., pipes, disinfection equipment). They also include

information about the cost of implementation and

maintenance of the technology that can be useful in the

planning process. The fact sheets are available at: http://

water.epa.gov/scitech/wastetech/mtbfact.cfm.

For more information on energy efficiency and

conservation technologies for water and wastewater

facilities, see:

Evaluation of Energy Conservation Measures for

Wastewater Treatment(U.S EPA, 2010a).

Energy Efficiency in the Water Industry: A

Compendium of Best Practices and Case Studies(Water Research Foundation, 2011).

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At Goose Creek Sewage reatment Plantin West Chester, Pennsylvania, a 2010

energy audit showed that treatment equipment(such as aerators, blowers, and pumps) accountsor approximately 95 percent o the acilitys elec-tricity consumption. o identiy possible energy

conservation and efficiency opportunities, the

acility developed an inventory o its major equip-ment. Te inventory includes descriptions and

quantity o equipment, nameplate horsepower,estimates o run hours, and calculations okWh/yr. Te inventory revealed that blowersaccount or 57 percent o the total energy use o all

treatment equipment at the plant (U.S. EPARegion 3, 2011).

Step 3: Establish an Energy Vision and

Priorities for Improvementhis step involves identiying and establishing priori-

ties or the acilitys energy eiciency improvements.

Based on results of energy assessments and audits,identify, evaluate, and prioritize potential energyimprovement projects and activities.Te energyteam can make a list o all o the projects that couldbe implemented to increase energy efficiency. Teseprojects may involve operational changes (e.g., shifingto greater use o off-peak electricity) or equipment

upgrades (e.g., replacing a pump). Employees whowork in areas within the energy enceline will be agood source or project ideas, as they are most amiliarwith the daily operations and the equipment. See thetext box on page 11or examples o energy efficiencyimprovements.

KEY DEFINITIONS

Goal:A quantitative or qualitative result that a

facility has decided to achieve.Example:Reduce facility energy use by 25%.

Objective:A shorter-term step that a facility needs

to complete in order to ultimately achieve its goal.

Example:Create an energy management team.

Target:A measurable performance requirement

associated with a goal or objective.

Example:Reduce facility energy use by 25% from

2011 levels by 2015.

Once the possible projects have been identiied, the

next step is to prioritize which projects can be imple-

mented. he energy team can develop a set o criteria

that will be used to evaluate the projects against each

other, considering actors such as payback period

and up-ront cost o implementation. In general, the

team can prioritize low hanging ruit opportunities

in the most energy-intensive processes in the opera-

tion o water or wastewater acilities, ocusing on

actions that provide the greatest reduction o energy

at the lowest cost (U.S. EPA, 2010a). his approach

will avor making improvements in energy eiciency

beore pursuing options or on-site renewable energy.

Energy eiciency improvements will also help reduce

a acilitys overall energy requirements, potentially

reducing the capacity required rom renewable

sources i the acility is aiming to be a net zero

consumer o energy. Examples o criteria that could

be used in priority ranking include:

Capital costs

Operation and maintenance costs

Potential or energy reduction

Maintenance required

Existing need or equipment upgrade

Return on investment

Regulatory requirement

Ease o implementation

Afer the list o criteria is established, the energy teamcan evaluate each project under each o the criteria.Projects that score the highest can receive priority.See Appendix H on page 105 o EPAs Ensuring aSustainable Futureguidebook or an example rankingtable, available at: http://water.epa.gov/infrastruc-

ture/sustain/upload/Final-Energy-Management-Guidebook.pdf.

Step 4: Identify Energy Objectives and Targets

Establish energy objectives and targets for priority

improvement areas.Specific objectives and targetscan be identified or each o the projects that have beenprioritized. Tese targets can be ambitious but realistic,and measurable.

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Define performance indicators.Perormance indica-

tors are quantifiable measurements that the acility

will need to take or obtain to measure progress toward

acility targets. Indicators may be developed rom the

electricity bill, natural gas bill, or internally generated

reports, and need to be easily accessible.

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POSSIBLE OBJECTIVES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY

PROJECTS

Reduce energy costs.

Reduce peak energy demand.

Reduce GHG emissions.

Improve reliability.

Reduce reliance on fossil fuels.

Achieve net zero energy consumption through

energy efficiency and on-site renewable energy

generation.

Using perormance indicators such as electricity

consumption or energy cost per gallon o water or

wastewater treated gives the energy intensity o the

process instead o the total energy consumed. his

allows the acility to compare its perormance against

that o other acilities, and to compare the dierent

processes o the path o treatment. ENERGY SARs

Portolio Manager tool, described on page 10, acil-

itates this comparison and allows wastewater plants tobenchmark their energy consumption.

Examples o perormance indicators include:

Electricity consumption per unit o time or gallono water or wastewater treated

Natural gas consumption per unit o time or gallono water or wastewater treated

Peak electricity demand

Energy cost per unit o time or gallon o water orwastewater treated

Do

Step 5: Implement Energy Improvement

Programs and Build a Management System to

Support Them

Now that the water or wastewater acility has decidedwhich improvements will be made, along with the

targets and objectives or those improvements, it mustprepare or implementation and build a managementand operations structure that can ensure the programslong-term success.

Develop action plans to implement energy improve-

ments.Creating a ormal action plan outlining respon-sibilities and a timeline will help to keep the imple-mentation on track and ensure that all participantsare aware o their role in the implementation. askssuch as replacing blowers and pumps or installing anew disinection system may be complex and involvemultiple stages that need to be laid out. Facilities canollow these steps:

1. List the tasks that need to be perormed.

2. Assign responsibilities or who will perorm thesetasks.

3. Establish deadlines or these tasks. Remember tokeep these deadlines realistic but consistent with theoverall goal timeline.

4. Estimate staff time and cost (e.g., equipment, labor,other services) or implementation. Approve thesecosts with managers (even i they have alreadyapproved them).

5. Coordinate with state regulatory agencies to deter-mine i changes in equipment or operations requireany regulatory review.

Get senior level managements commitment and

approval.Managers can ensure that the energymanagement program aligns with other goals or the

acility and that the capital costs and staff time arereasonable and easible.

Develop management system operating controlsto support energy improvements.Operating controlsare documents that speciy the way to execute a certainactivity or operation. Tese controls need to be estab-lished beore implementation.

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Operating controls include:

Training: Evaluate current training to determinei energy management training can be incorpo-rated into an existing training program to reduceburden.

Communication: Evaluate internal and external

communications to determine where communica-tion o the energy policy and energy goals canbe directed within the acility (e.g., employees,managers) and outside o the acility (e.g., localcitizens, energy advisory groups, local officials).

Controlling documents and managing records:Review and evaluate the current document controland records procedures. Ensure that the proce-dures are updated to account or changes to theenergy management program.

Work instructions or Standard OperatingProcedures and operations/equipment manuals

for energy improvements: Operating controlsoutline the procedures or maintenance, calibra-tion, and operation o or piece o equipment orprocess. Operating controls may or may not needto be updated to include the most recent energyimprovements that the acility will implement. Teacility can review the current operating controlsand update or draf new ones. Additionally, it canreview the maintenance and calibration require-

ments to be sure that these are consistent. Aferrequirements have been developed and checkedor completeness, the energy leaders can commu-nicate the operating controls to staff, discuss theeffectiveness o the procedures with staff, and makechanges accordingly.

Swatara ownship, Pennsylvania, decidedto include energy efficiency among the

standard selection criteria that it uses when selectingnew treatment processes at its wastewater acility. In

2005, the acility responded to stricter nutrientdischarge limits by evaluating several alternatives toits current treatment process. Energy use ended upbeing the differentiating eature among the processesevaluated, leading the acility to decide to upgrade itsaeration process. In its decision, the acility actoredin the impact o uture energy prices in Pennsylvania,which are expected to nearly double the cost o powerover the lie o the plant. By reducing its energy needs

now, the acilitys efficiency improvements will resultin even greater cost savings in the uture as energyprices increase (Whittier et al., 2011).

Begin implementation once approvals and systems

are in place.Once key managers and staff have the

inormation they need, understand their tasks and

responsibilities, and have a clear vision o the programsgoals and objectives, they will be prepared to imple-

ment energy efficiency improvements in their acilities.

Check

Step 6: Monitor and Measure Results of the

Energy Improvement Management Program

Review what the facility currently monitors and

measures to track energy use.Te purpose o this step

is to review and compile what was already collected in

Step 2 when perorming the energy audit. Te acilitycan gather all o this inormation into one centralized

location and review to make sure the inormation is

accurate.

Determine what else the facility needs to monitor

and measure its priority energy improvement activi-

ties.Next, the water or wastewater acility can evaluate

progress toward its energy targets. I there are data that

need to be obtained, where and how will the acility

obtain them? Tis step may require going back to

review the energy objectives and targets.

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Serie3. PLANNING4

COMPREHENSIVE ASSET MANAGEMENT FOR WATER

AND WASTEWATER UTILITIES

Comprehensive asset management is a process by

which water and wastewater utilities obtain detailed

information on the age and condition of their capital

assets, determine maintenance needs, assess risks, and

set priorities for maintenance and replacement. Asset

management can also be used to identify opportunities

for improving energy efficiency.

EPAs Check Up Program for Small Systems (CUPSS)

tool is a free asset management tool for water and

wastewater utilities. Utilities can use CUPSS to develop

a record of their assets, a schedule of required tasks, an

understanding of their financial situation, and a tailored

asset management plan. For more information, please

visit: http://water.epa.gov/infrastructure/drinkingwater/

pws/cupss/index.cfm.

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Develop a plan for maintaining the energy efficiency

of equipment.Maintaining any energy-using equip-

ment that has been installed is vital to the continued

success o an energy program. Te maintenance

schedule or each piece o equipment or system needs

to be noted, considering the ollowing questions:

Who is responsible or maintenance? Does the

vendor provide maintenance?

How ofen does maintenance need to beperormed? What are the actions or maintenance?

I the acility is perorming the maintenance, are allo the necessary resources available (e.g., uel, spareparts, filters, etc.)?

Will outside contractors need to be brought in toperorm maintenance?

Is the perormance evaluated with themaintenance?

Where are the records kept or the maintenanceand perormance evaluations?

Determining the answer to these questions is impor-

tant to maintaining the program and the operation.

Large equipment typically has high repair costs that

may be prevented through regular maintenance.

Review the facilitys progress toward energytargets.Develop a plan or regular review o progresstoward the acilitys energy targets. Tis may includeconducting periodic energy audits or simply reviewingenergy data over time. Energy managers can use EPAsENERGY SAR Portolio Manager tool and/or EPAsEnergy Use Assessment ool (both described in Step 2)to review energy data over time.

Te City o Joplin, Missouri uses EPAs

ENERGY SAR Portolio Manager totrack energy use and consumption patterns at itswastewater treatment acility by entering monthly

energy data gathered rom electric utility bills. Tecity is using this inormation to optimize newsystems and guide planning or uture invest-

ments. During the first three months o 2011,upgraded equipment installed at the acility

reduced overall energy demand by 5.8 percent

compared to the same period during the previousyear (EPA Region 7, 2011a).

Take corrective action or make adjustments when thefacility is not progressing toward its energy goals.During the review o progress toward energy targets, a

acility may find that some goals will not be attained bythe original deadline. Several questions can be asked todetermine the source o the problem:

Was the target realistic?

Were the identified tasks sufficient to achieve thetargets?

Were some tasks not completed?

Did anything change (e.g., flows, energy prices,personnel)?

Depending on the answers to these questions, theacility may need to modiy its target, controls, orsystems. o ensure success, the acility may needto develop an alternative strategy or achieving itsgoals. For more strategies, see Section 6, Strategies orEffective Program Implementation.

Monitor/reassess compliance status.Compliancewith public health and environmental standards is

one o the primary goals or a water or wastewatertreatment acility. Te acility must ensure that theenergy management program has not compromisedcompliance.

Act

Step 7: Maintain the Energy Improvement

Program

Once the projects have been implemented, the acilitycan go back and evaluate the energy goals, applylessons learned, and get others involved and aware othe projects.

Continually align energy goals with other business/operational goals.Beyond compliance, there are othergoals that the acility has to ulfill or strive or in orderto operate successully. Energy efficiency improvementgoals will change as overall business or operationalgoals evolve.

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Apply lessons learned.Afer a acility has gonethrough an energy improvement program, the energyteam can create a list o lessons learned. Tis list willhelp inorm uture energy program implementationat the acility, but may also be used to communicatesuccesses and difficulties to other acilities.

Expand involvement of management and staff, as

necessary.Afer a program has been implemented,maintenance and evaluation will be continuing tasks.o get others involved in these ongoing processes, aacility can consider expanding the leadership team toinclude other management, staff, or local officials whohave gotten involved in the project during its imple-mentation. Tese people may not have been includedon the original leadership team, but their perspectiveand experience can prove valuable.

Communicate success to facility management andlocal decision makers (e.g., boards, town councils,etc.). Communicating the success o the program toothers helps ensure continued support rom manage-ment and the larger community. It may also help leadto additional projects at the acility, other acilities, orother government operations. EPAs Portolio Managertool, described on page 10, can help with this stepbecause it automatically provides estimates o CO

2

emissions reductions and other benefits based onenergy savings.

Te activities in this step will help acilities identiy

opportunities or urther energy efficiency improve-ments and uture initiatives, completing the plan-do-check-act cycle and leading back to the planningactivities described above under Step 1.

4.KEY PARTICIPANTS

Local governments can work with a range o partici-pants to plan and implement programs to improveenergy efficiency in water and wastewater acilities.Tis section provides inormation on these partici-

pants, along with descriptions and examples o howeach can contribute unique authority or expertise.

Mayor or county executive.Local government execu-tives can provide key support or an energy efficiencyprogram by mobilizing resources and ensuringprogram visibility. Many local government executiveshave appointed energy advisory committees to provideguidance on improving energy efficiency in acilitiesand operations. Working with these committees, while

effectively communicating the financial and envi-ronmental benefits o energy efficiency, can gain themayors or county executives support or energy effi-ciency improvements upront and help ensure success.

Indianapolis Mayor Gregory Ballardaced the challenge o addressing

combined sewer overflows4o 7.8 billion gallons

per year. He initially considered a proposal toimplement a new system that would cost$3.8 billion over 20 years and increase sewer rates

to more than $100 per month. Convinced thatmore cost-effective options might be available, themayor directed the Indianapolis Department oPublic Works (DPW) to review and modiy the

plan. Te DPW identified sustainable solutionssuch as green roos, rain gardens, and bioswales5that could prevent nearly hal the problematic

runoff rom entering the stormwater system andsave $740 million (Indianapolis DPW, 2011). olearn how other municipalities could undertakesimilar integrated approaches to stormwater and

wastewater planning, please see http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/integratedplans.cfm.

City or county council.In many local governments,the city or county council must approve energy effi-ciency improvements, especially i substantial undingor a change to existing policies or codes is required. In

addition, many city and county councils have initiatedenergy efficiency improvements by establishing policiesthat require departments to reduce energy consump-tion. Many local government legislative bodies havepassed resolutions to participate in the ENERGYSAR Challenge6or other regional, national, andinternational campaigns to improve energy efficiencyand reduce impacts on the climate. Involving the city/county council rom the beginning o the program(e.g., attending a meeting to outline the plan) willprovide an opportunity or sharing ideas and possibly

developing uture legislation.

4 Combined sewer overflows occur when the volume o wastewater andstormwater in a sewer system exceeds the capacity o the treatment plant.

5 Green roos, also known as roofop gardens, are vegetative layers grownon roofops. Rain gardens are planted depressions that allow rainwater to beabsorbed into the ground, reducing runoff. Bioswales are landscape elementsdesigned to remove silt and pollution rom surace runoff water.

6 Te ENERGY SAR Challenge is EPAs national call-to-action to improvethe energy efficiency o Americas buildings and acilities by 10 percentor more. For more inormation, visit: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=challenge.bus_challenge.

Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Facilities | Local Government Climate and Energy Strategy Serie4. KEY PARTICIPANTS6

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Te City Council o Austin, exas has

been very involved in the water effi-

ciency measures adopted by the city. In 2006, the

council charged a citizen water conservation

implementation task orce with recommending

additional conservation measures to reduce water

use. Te task orce set goals to reduce peak water

use by 1 percent per year over a 10-year period.Its plan involved incentive programs, water

audits, retrofits, education/outreach programs,

and reclamation and reuse. Te city has imple-

mented many o the task orces recommenda-

tions (Alliance or Water Efficiency, 2010). In

2012, the council voted unanimously to revise

Austins water use strategy in order to continue

strengthening conservation efforts while

protecting the citys urban landscape and tree

canopy (Austin Water, 2012).

Local code enforcement officials and planning

departments.Local governments can work with theircode enorcement officials and planning departmentsto update codes to incorporate energy efficiency strate-gies or water and wastewater treatment. Planningdepartments can also be responsible or developinglocal energy plans that can include energy efficiency-specific goals and activities. Adding energy efficiencymeasures at a water or wastewater acility to the localenergy plan is an effective way to address water conser-

vation and efficiency within the community.

Local water consumers.Residential, commercial, andindustrial consumers have key roles to play in waterefficiency and conservation, along with supportinginitiatives to improve energy efficiency at water andwastewater acilities. As ratepayers, local consumershave a vested interest in reducing energy costs andimproving the efficiency o operations at water andwastewater plants. Publicly owned water and waste-water acilities may need to educate and reach outto residents to raise awareness and build support orproposed improvements.

Strong community participation in water conserva-tion efforts can greatly reduce energy use at thewater or wastewater acility by reducing demand orwater and the amount o wastewater that needs to betreated. Combining community water efficiency and

conservation efforts with energy efficiency improve-ments at water or wastewater plants can result insignificant cost savings and environmental benefits.

Trough its efforts to engage and

educate the community, the governmen

o Brattleboro, Vermont, succeeded in securing

strong public support to move orward with a$32.8 million upgrade project at its wastewater

treatment acility (City o Brattleboro, 2012). Te

upgrade is being financed through a combination

o municipal bonds and state revolving loan

unds. o inorm its residents about the impor-

tance o the project, the town government held

public meetings, gave presentations, and repeat-

edly aired a 45-minute video on local television

explaining the upgrades (Urffer, 2009).

Water development boards.Water de