Improving Energy Management at
                              Water and Wastewater Utilities
                                                                                     March 2009

EPA Supports Sustainable Infrastructure and Energy Management Improvements
Improving energy management is a critical part  of  EPA's  efforts to promote I
"sustainable infrastructure". In January 2008, the Office of Wastewater Management!
issued an Energy Management Guidebook for Wastewater and Water Utilities http:/
www.eDa.gov/waterinfrastructure/Ddfs/guidebook si  energymanagementodf.
This  guide is based  on the Plan-Do-Check-Act management system  approach and
takes utilities through  a step by step process to assess  their energy "footprint",
identify opportunities to use energy more efficiently, establish energy efficiency goals,
and monitor and measure progress toward these goals.  Using this approach, utilities'
can develop a comprehensive energy management system and successful programs WorkshopmReglon 10'Worley'ldaho
that they can communicate to the communities they serve. The Guide also includes information on energy auditing
and how to  use the Energy Star Portfolio  Manager Benchmarking Tool http://www.energvstar.gov/index.cfm?
c=evaluate performance.bus portfoliomanager.
"Wastewater  and  water utilities  face  many
challenges in providing services, meeting public
expectations,  and meeting standards as energy
use and costs increase. More and more utilities
are embracing a systematic approach to integrate
improved energy  management  into their daily
operations and long-term planning. This system
can help them  address a number of important
emerging issues like energy management, climate
change,   and  sustainability.     The  Energy
Management   Guidebook and   EPA-sponsored
workshops are designed to show utilities how its
proven  management approach can help ensure
that energy issues are managed effectively and
sustainably."
            -Jim Home, U.S. EPA Office of Water
 Energy Management System Benefits
Santa Clara Valley Water District, California
 •   Solar energy providing 20% of energy needs
 •   $70,000 reduction of energy costs
 •   Reducing carbon dioxide  emissions by  an
    estimated 412,699 pounds per year
Lowell   Regional   Wastewater   Utility,
Massachusetts
 •   Decrease from 10  million kWh/year 1990-
    1996 to 6.5 million kWh/year in 2007
Camden County, NJ
 •   Using  the  P-D-C-A  management  system,
    Camden  County saved  $30 million over the
    past 10 years in energy costs
               Energy Use Facts
Water and Wastewater treatment represents -3% of the na-
tion's energy consumption
  •   $4 billion spent annually for energy
  •   Equivalent to -56 billion kilowatt hours (kWh)
  •   Equates to adding -45 million tons of greenhouse
     gases

Energy represents the largest controllable cost of providing
water or wastewater services to the public
  •   16,583 municipal treatment plants in the US
  •   Energy represents 25-30% of total plant O&M


            Plan-Do-Check-Act
The  'Plan-Do-Check-Act'   management  framework  helps
utilities better understand their energy consumption, identify
opportunities for improvement, prioritize projects for potential
funding, measure success, reduce or avoid energy costs, and
reduce  greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate
change.
"Plan-Do-Check-Act is a process, not a project—a new way of
thinking, of systematically looking at your operations."
           -David Six, Water/Wastewater Services Manager,
                                City of Lewiston, Idaho

"Reducing energy usage and managing costs is a win-win
situation. It makes good business sense, it aids rate payers,
and it helps the environment. The Plan-Do-Check-Act frame-
work helps utilities reach their energy management goals step-
by-step. "
                           - Cyndi Grafe, EPA Region 10

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Attendees at the Region 4 Workshop in Nashville,
TN review the Energy Management Guidebook.
Energy Management Workshops
                              Starting with two  workshops  in
                              New  England,  EPA's  Office  of
                              Water  offered  eight  workshops
                              across  the  United  States.  Co-
                              sponsors  included  EPA  regional
                              offices,  state environmental and
                              energy agencies, and professional
                             Itrade   associations.   Over  750
                              participants learned how to apply
                              the Plan-Do-Check-Act framework
                              and   heard  from   water  and
wastewater  practitioners about  their  experiences  in  improving
energy management at their utilities.

               Quotes from Workshops
"The workshop was a great way for Region 7 to start a conversation
with our water utilities about the benefits of reducing energy consump-
tion and planning for future energy needs.  Next we plan to assist them
in using available tools and in creating partnerships to achieve their
goals."
                                   - Kerry Herndon, EPA Region 7

"I wish I had brought my whole team to the workshop."
           - Steve Moehlman, Des Moines Metropolitan Wastewater
                                         Reclamation Authority

Energy Management Systems in Action: Lowell, MA
The   Lowell  Regional   Wastewater I
Utility in  Massachusetts has applied |
the  'Plan-Do-Check-Act'  approach
from 1996 to the present to address
energy  issues.    Applying  this
continuous improvement approach,
the  utility  has  implemented:  fine
bubble aeration; high efficiency and
variable  frequency  drive   pumps;
locked thermostats in pump  houses;
replacement of sodium vapor light bulbs; motion sensors;  process
changes to reduce electricity load; 'duty cycling' of pumps; enhanced
operation controls through SCADA system; regular review of energy
bills;  comprehensive  audit  for  planning  capital improvements;
efficiency incentives through  its  energy provider;  and aggressive
elimination of infiltration inflow. The utility is currently investigating
high efficiency blowers,  'green roofs', sludge reduction through pore
control fiber, solar panels, and  potential generation of hydro power
from effluent discharges.

"Our 3 biggest costs are energy, payroll, and sludge handling. If
you're not managing your process, you're not managing energy or
your budget."
 -Mark Young Executive Director, Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility,
                                               Massachusetts
                                                                            The Guide
                                  Workshop participants in Lowell, MA
                                                               Ensuring a Sustainable Future: An Energy Man-
                                                               agement Guidebook for Water and Wastewater
                                                               Utilities
                                                                  Response from EPA Regional
                                                                              Offices
                                                               "EPA New England encourages all water and
                                                               wastewater utilities to utilize the approaches
                                                               found in the Energy Management Guidebook
                                                               as a way to achieve measureable reductions
                                                               in energy use, reduce costs and improve the
                                                               environment."
                                                                       - Ira Leighton, Acting Administrator,
                                                                                          EPA Region 1
                                                                            Next Steps
Future workshops in the remaining EPA
Regions (2, 3, 6, and 8) are anticipated in
2009.  EPA Regions continue to reach out
to utilities, following up on actions after
the workshops.

For More Information, Please Contact
Jim Home, Office of Wastewater Management
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Phone:  (202)564-0571
E-mail:  Horne.James@epa.gov

Noeleen Tillman
Global Environment & Technology Foundation
(GETF)
Phone:  (760)944-9398
Email:  Noeleen.Tillman@getf.org
                                                                                         Global
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