In 2014 the DOE’s Better Plants program expanded its scope and began partnering with water and wastewater treatment agencies. Due to the fact that these organizations have industrial-scale energy-using systems and face high energy costs as a proportion of total operating costs, opportunities to improve energy consumption can have significant, positive impacts on municipal budgets. Since 2014, 26 water/wastewater treatment agencies joined the program, including two of the Nation’s largest and most complex water systems, those servicing the cities of Los Angeles and New York.
This white paper discusses how the SEP program can apply to the water and wastewater treatment sector based on a pilot program involving seven water and wastewater treatment agencies that undertook SEP.
Catalyze the adoption of innovative and best-practice approaches in data management, technologies, and financing for wastewater infrastructure improvement
Over twenty-five water and wastewater partners have joined the Better Plants program, committing to improving water and energy savings.
Featured Solutions
This webinar for the Better Plants Program covers the technical assistant options available to water and wastewater partners.
This webinar for the Better Plants Program covers the benefits of biogas for Water/Wastewater treatment plants.
This webinar for the Better Plants Program covers the benefits of biogas for Water/Wastewater treatment plants.
This webinar for the Better Plants Program covers the wastewater energy intensity metrics, program guidance, and reporting timelines
This webinar for the Better Plants Program serves as a primer for the importance of energy efficiency projects for water/wastewater plants
This pre-In-Plant Training webinar discussed the water-energy nexus and provided energy efficiency tips related to water and wastewater treatment.
The purpose of this document is to describe the benefits of energy data management, explain how it can help drive savings when linked to a strong energy management program, and provide clear, step-by-step guidance to wastewater treatment plants on how to appropriately track energy performance.
Other Resources
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Various tools and resources are being evaluated that can help water and wastewater agencies monitor and improve their energy performance. In January of 2022, the Advanced Manufacturing Office worked with Lawrence Berkeley National Lab to create the following tipsheets for Wastewater Treatment Agencies. Additionally, the AMO CHP team developed a Market Sector Fact Sheet specifically for wastewater treatment plants.