Energy and Water

Large amounts of electricity are required to obtain, treat and transport water and wastewater. In addition, large amounts of water are needed to produce electricity. As energy prices rise, they drive utility costs higher, causing operating costs of water treatment plants and water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) to soar. WRRFs are typically the largest energy consumers in local government, accounting for 30 percent to 40 percent of the total energy consumed. Many WRRFs have begun steering away from their dependency on foreign oil by researching wind, solar, and hydroelectric power, as sustainable solutions are needed quickly.

WEF staff contact for more information: Lisa McFadden
lmcfadden@wef.org

TECHNICAL RESOURCES

Renewable Energy Generation From Wastewater Position Statement

WEF believes that wastewater treatment plants are not waste disposal facilities, but rather water resource recovery facilities that produce clean water, recover nutrients (such as phosphorus and nitrogen), and have the potential to reduce the nation's dependence upon fossil fuel through the production and use of renewable energy.

The Energy Roadmap: A Water and Wastewater Utility Guide to More Sustainable Energy Management

Wastewater treatment plants are not waste disposal facilities, but are water resource recovery facilities that produce clean water, recover nutrients (such as phosphorus and nitrogen), and have the potential to reduce the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels through the production and use of renewable energy and the implementation of energy conservation.

A number of utilities already have taken the leap toward resource recovery and have begun this transformation, and many more are peering over the edge. WEF’s Energy Roadmap is designed to be a tool for utilities of all sizes and levels of advancement to identify areas for potential improvement, prioritize them, and then take the appropriate next steps toward increased energy independence. Read The Energy Roadmap: A Water and Wastewater Utility Guide to More Sustainable Energy Management.

Purchase The Energy Roadmap

The Energy Roadmap Primer

This document provides an overview of the Energy Roadmap efforts and the meeting at which the matrices were initially created. The matrices outline the basic steps a utility can take to become more energy efficient and to generate energy.

The steps are arranged under six topics: Strategic Management, Organizational Culture, Communication Outreach, Demand Side Management, Energy Generation, and Innovating for the Future. Download a PDF below. 

Energy Roadmap Primer

Water Energy Future Report

The Water Environment Federation (WEF), the Alliance to Save Energy (Alliance) and Danfoss have released a report developed from the Water Energy Future Workshop held in November 2012. Hosted by Danfoss, The Alliance and WEF, the workshop convened energy and water experts from federal agencies, local government, nongovernmental organizations, finance, and industry to identify critical issues, barriers, and solutions in the water and energy space and define a set of actionable steps to advance energy efficiency and generation in water/wastewater treatment facilities.

Read summary report here

Water Reuse at Power Plants

Impending regional freshwater shortages and increasing electricity demand in the United States have encouraged the reuse of municipal wastewater in electric utilities. Treated by municipal wastewater plants, this reclaimed water can safely meet the water needs of the power producing process while conserving freshwater for other uses. WEF and ASME have embarked on an initiative to facilitate the water reuse at power plants.

Read Workshop Report Here