United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
EPA820-F-15-002
July 2015
Promoting Innovation for a Sustainable Water Future
A Progress Report
Message from Ken Kopocis, Deputy Assistant Administrator for Water, U.S. EPA
"I am delighted to share this progress report on the ways that communities and the water sector have used innovation and
technology to accelerate progress to clean and sustainable water resources. The water sector has embraced the need to think
differently about sustainability and the concept of'One Water.' We are far from done, but the evidence of change and progress is
unmistakable, and EPA will continue to support efforts that are taking our nation on this important path."
In April 2014, EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy issued the Promoting Technology Innovation for Clean and Safe Water, Water Technology
Innovation Blueprint—Version 2 (Blueprint Version 2) to demonstrate the extent of risks to water sustainability, the "market opportunities"
for innovation, examples of innovation pioneers, and actions to promote technology innovation. These actions included ways that EPA will be
a positive contributor to the effort, along with utilities, industry, investors, academics, technology developers, and entrepreneurs.
Over the past year, EPA has collaborated with a wide spectrum of partners, all of whom play a critical role in advancing water technology and
innovation. Progress toward sustainable water resources is accelerating. This Progress Report provides additional examples of the growing
momentum across the country to address traditional and emerging threats to the nation's water resources.
The Business Case for Water Innovation and Sustainability
Blueprint Version 2 made the business case for innovation in the water sector and provided many examples of how innovation was being
deployed across the United States. In the past year, notable authors and experts issued reports that also framed our nation's water challenges
and made the strong case for water technology, innovation, and sustainability. Examples of these critically important works include:
"With shocking water crises in the news this year, the urgent need for infrastructure
upgrades and resilience building in our water systems has been made clear." (From:
Innovating for a Sustainable and Resilient Water Future, Aspen-Nicholas Water Forum,
2014)
"[...] the water sector is rapidly shifting from a culture of stasis to one that values
and embraces innovation." (From: Navigating to New Shores: Seizing the Future for
Sustainable and Resilient U.S. Freshwater Resources, The Johnson Foundation, 2014)
"Although they have been highly effective to date, the country's water supply systems are
now on the cusp of new challenges that they are not prepared to meet."
(From: The Path to Water Innovation, Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment,
2014)
"The time has come to secure the water future we want before a crisis forces it upon us."
(From: Water 4.0: The Past, Present, and Future of the World's Most Vital Resource, David
Sedlak,2014)
-------
Recent Innovations in the Water Sector
EPA's Blueprint Version 2 identified and described 10 of the most promising opportunities to employ technology and institutional innovation to
help solve current water resource issues and promote economic growth. Collectively, these "top ten" market opportunities, listed in the key at right,
form the basis for achieving water sustainability. Building off the 20 examples provided in Blueprint Version 2, the map below highlights additional
innovative technology efforts across the nation and identifies their corresponding market opportunities.
Gresham, OR Achieves
jp Energy Net Zero
Through the use of biogas generation and
recovery, as well as ground-mounted solar arrays,
the City of Gresham's wastewater treatment plant
is the first in the Pacific Northwest to generate the
same amount of electricity as it consumes each year.
•fir Protecting LakeTahoe
The Lake Clarity Crediting Program uses a suite of
stormwater tools and protocols to target ongoing effective
actions to reduce urban stormwater fine sediment and
nutrient pollutants to LakeTahoe.
Madison, Wl Harvests Phosphorus
The Madison Metropolitan Sewerage District, in conjunction with Ostara Nutrient
Recovery Technologies, recovers phosphorus at their Nine Springs Wastewater Treatment
Plant, converting it into an environmentally friendly fertilizer, Crystal Green®.
v Mobile App for Water Quality Data
A mobile application called KCWaterBug provides live water quality
data so users can make real-time informed decisions about recreation in
numerous streams in the Kansas City area.
* GreenPlan Bay Area
The GreenPlan Bay Area project developed a GIS-based tool and
GreenPlans to help municipalities identify the optimal combination
and location of green infrastructure/low impact development
features to address water quality on a watershed scale.
U. Cleaning Hydraulic Fracturing Wastewater
Researchers at the University of Colorado, Boulder have developed a
method using microbes to clean both organic contaminants and salts
from hydraulic fracturing wastewater, while producing renewable energy.
Padre Dam Municipal Water
Q i 1 District, CA
The recently completed construction of an
advanced water purification facility will reclaim
treated wastewater and use it to recharge drinking
water aquifers, providing 20-25 percent of Padre
Dam's current drinking water demands.
sac-
f Potable Reuse
The communities of Big Spring and Wichita Falls,
Texas, became the country's first two potable reuse
facilities, using multiple barrier technologies and
intense monitoring.
Resource Conservation and Pollution Reduction at
f ^ Wastewater Treatment Facilities
As part of a broader Energy Management Initiative (EMI), EPA Region 4 supported energy
assessment site visits at eight wastewater treatment facilities. The site visits identified opportunities for significant
energy savings, and reductions in C02equivalent, and nitrogen discharges, at very little to no cost to the utilities.
-v
Conserving and Recovering Energy
Recovering Nutrients
Improving and Greening of Water
Infrastructure
Conserving and Reusing Water
Market Opportunities in the Water Sector
Reducing Costs and Improving Techniques
for Water Monitoring
_ Improving Performance of Small Drinking
® Water Systems
/-Tz Reducing Water Impacts from Energy
MM Production
Improving Resiliency of Water Infrastructure
to the Impacts of Climate Change
Improving Access to Safe Drinking Water and
Sanitation
Improving Water Quality of Our Oceans,
Estuaries, and Watersheds
Rocky River Hydrology -4F
Cleveland Metroparks studied the hydrology of the
Rocky River headwater streams affected by runoff
by using real-time flow and water quality sen-
sors to attain precise, short-interval hydrograph
and water quality data.
Improving Onsite Systems
The Massachusetts Alternative Septic System Test Center
(MASSTC) aids in the development, testing, and piloting of new and
innovative onsite technologies.
* .
«
Private Wastewater Treatment for Nutrients
A partnership between the Buzzards Bay Coalition and the Kingman Yacht Center marina
is working to provide currently unsewered households with access to a new, privately built
wastewater treatment plant as a means to control the discharge of nutrients.
Philadelphia, PA Extracts Heat from Wastewater 7
The city of Philadelphia uses a geothermal process, acting like a large heat pump,
to extract ambient heat from wastewater to heat its compressor building and
gallery space, saving $18,000 a year in energy costs.
DC Water Saves Energy >m
DC Water is the first plant in North America to adopt a Cambi thermal hydrolysis process
that will enable them to create a significant amount of biogas which, when fully operating,
will generate one-third of the plant's energy requirement.
Rainwater Harvesting at EPA {A
EPA's Headquarters facility recently upgraded an existing 6,000-gallon capacity rainwater
harvesting system with OptiNimbus real-time controls to manage stormwater retention and
use more effectively. The system allows EPA to monitor the volume of rainwater captured
and used over time.
Emory University Reclaims
Wastewater
The WaterHub at Emory University is reducing its
water footprint nearly 40% by reclaiming and reusing
up to 146 million gallons of campus wastewater
annually by using an adaptive ecological technology
that naturally breaks down organic matter in
wastewater for use as make-up water in its steam and
chiller plants.
Crisfield, MD Uses Wind Power
The city of Crisfield is planning a 750 megawatt (MW) wind turbine to provide elec-
tricity at its wastewater treatment plant. The turbine is expected to generate more
than enough electricity to power the treatment plant and save the city $150,000 to
$200,000 a year in electricity costs.
EPA Tools and Guidance That Support Innovation and Sustainability
Water Utility Response On-The-Go—A mobile website and innovative tool that consolidates, and makes accessible from the field, information
and tools that water utility operators and their response partners may need during an emergency.
Flood Resilience: A Basic Guide for Water and Wastewater Utilities—A handbook that outlines a simple, four-step assessment process to help
any water utility understand its flooding threat and identify practical mitigation options to protect its critical assets.
National Stormwater Calculator—An application that estimates annual rainwater and frequency of runoff for a specific site anywhere in the
United States. It now includes estimated costs of green and gray infrastructure stormwater BMPs and a mobile website for use on tablets.
EPA Promotion of Sustainable Utilities Based on Proven and Progressive Practices
Moving Toward Sustainabilitv: Sustainable and Effective Practices for Creating Your Water Utility Roadmap—Provides a series of proven
best practices to optimize utility operations.
Making the Right Choices for Your Utility: Using Sustainability Criteria in Water Infrastructure Decision Making—Outlines a six-step process
to analyze alternatives for infrastructure investments.
Rural and Small Systems Guidebook to Sustainable Utility Management—Introduces rural and smaller utilities to key areas for effective utility
management. Developed jointly with USDA.
-------
"We are making real strides, at EPA and across the entire water sector, to support the
use of innovation and technology to achieve a sustainable water future."
—EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy
EPA Actions to Support Technology Innovation and Water Sustainability
Blueprint Version 2 provided the framework for EPA and its partners in the water sector to support water sustainability. Examples of progress include:
Advocating Technology Innovation
Technology Innovation Showcase—In December 2014, EPA held the Technology
Innovation Showcase, which demonstrated innovative water technologies, including
over 20 technologies designed by EPA researchers.
2015 Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP) Policy—EPA recently updated
its SEP Policy to include opportunities for defendants to develop and demonstrate
innovative technologies that may prove more protective of human health and the
environment than existing processes.
Speeding Delivery of Proven Technologies
National Centers for Innovation in Small Drinking Water Systems—With fund-
ing support from EPA, the University of Colorado and University of Massachusetts
are developing programs to identify and address common potential barriers in how
states approve the use of new treatment technologies.
Leaders Innovation Forum for Technology (LIFT) Program—Through funding
provided by a cooperative agreement with EPA, the Water Environment Federation
(WEE) and the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) LIFT program, now
with over 280 water agency participants, launched several new programs, including
a Web platform to help identify and deliver information on innovative water
technologies. WEF is also developing a framework for a work group on national
storm water testing and evaluation for products and practices (STEPP).
Creating Regulatory Space
Integrated Planning—EPA is providing $335,000 in technical assistance to five
communities to develop components of integrated plans for meeting Clean Water Act
(CWA) requirements for municipal wastewater and stormwater management.
NPDES Compendium of Next Generation Compliance Examples—EPA has pro-
vided examples of how advances in pollutant monitoring and information technology
have been used to increase compliance with environmental requirements under the
NPDES prog ram.
Facilitating Opportunities for Financing and
Funding
New Water Infrastructure Financing—On January 16,2015, the Obama adminis-
tration announced efforts to accelerate economic growth and additional investment
in the nation's infrastructure, including water and wastewater.
Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program—Since its inception, EPA's
SBIR Program has provided incentive funding to small businesses to translate their
innovative ideas into commercial products that address environmental problems.
Water Infrastructure and Resiliency Finance Center (WIRFC)—Launched in
January 2015, EPA's WIRFC will promote the use of innovative financing, including
public-private partnerships, to serve as a resource for communities, municipal
utilities, and private entities as they seek to address their future water infrastructure
needs.
Partnering and Leveraging Actions with Others
Collaborating for Energy Efficiency—EPA Region 9, in partnership with the
Department of Energy's Industrial Assessment Centers, conducted 19 energy audits
at wastewater treatment facilities. These audits identified 125 energy conservation
opportunities that could save approximately $7 million and 70 million kWh annually.
Technology Innovation at WEFTEC 2014—WEF showcased Blueprint Version 2 and
led facilitated discussion sessions on each of the market opportunities at its 2014
WEF Technical Exhibition and Conference (WEFTEC). WEF is publishing summaries
of each of those discussions monthly in its Water Environment &Technology(WE&T)
magazine throughout 2015 in a featured series titled "Building Blueprints."
Supporting Research, Development, and
Demonstration
Nutrient Sensor Challenge—In partnership with EPA, the Alliance for Coastal Tech-
nologies' Nutrient Sensor Challenge will accelerate the development and deployment
of affordable nutrient sensors for use in water.
Environmental Technology Innovation Clusters—EPA has supported the creation
of 14 clusters across the country to lead the nation in water technology innovations
through regional collaboration among businesses, government, research institutions,
and other interested groups.
Moving Forward—Continuing to Advocate and Embrace Change
This progress report identifies just a few of the many examples of how innovative water technologies and practices are being pursued to support a
sustainable water future. For more information about innovative technologies and practices related to water sustainability, please visit the EPA Water
Technology Webpage at www.epa.gov/innovation/watertech.
------- |