Organizations release guidance on water/wastewater facilities
The Boston-based Consortium for Energy Efficiency (CEE) and the Alexandria, Va.-based Water Environment Federation (WEF) have released the Energy Efficiency RFP Guidance for Water and Wastewater Treatment Facilities. The new guidance provides water utilities, cities and towns with ready-to-use language to help them include energy efficiency requirements in solicitations for design services.
Municipal officials may use the guidance to simplify and streamline the RFP process, to help cities and towns tap into federal funding streams and local efficiency program resources, and to make energy efficiency a standard feature of treatment facilities, according to CEE. “Energy efficiency offers a great opportunity for municipal water and wastewater treatment facilities to cut costs and improve process reliability,” said CEE Executive Director Marc Hoffman said in a statement. “Energy savings at these facilities leads directly to more money for other priorities, such as schools and public safety.”
Data collected by energy efficiency program administrators shows that a typical wastewater treatment facility spends up to $100,000 per year on energy for every 1 million gallons a day (MGD) of treatment capacity, according to CEE and WEF. By making energy efficiency a standard part of their management practices, facilities could potentially save between $20,000 and $40,000 per 1 MGD a year.
The Energy Efficiency RFP Guidance includes ready-to-use language to request consideration of measures, including high-speed blowers, sensors and process controls, variable frequency drives, nutrient removal processes, and more. “Energy efficiency and energy independence are essential to sustainable water and wastewater treatment,” said WEF President Paul Freedman.
Download the Energy Efficiency RFP Guidance.