Energy and Sustainability: Turning Challenges into...

Energy and Sustainability: Turning Challenges into Opportunities

May 18, 2012

Massachusetts Coalition for Water Resources Stewardship

Annual Symposium

Jane E. Madden, P.E.

Senior Vice President

Communities and Water and Wastewater Utilities Face Unprecedented Challenges

• Ever aging infrastructure

• More stringent regulations

• Population growth/shifts

• Diminishing sources of funding

• Water and Sewer rates don’t cover costs

• Climate change


At The Same Time Our Common Goal is to Achieve the Triple Bottom Line

Triple Bottom Line Environmental Stewardship

• Enhance and protect ecosystems

• Improve water quality

• Reduce carbon and water footprint

• Reduce solid waste

• Conserve natural resources


Triple Bottom Line – Economic Growth

• Entice economic growth in the Commonwealth

• Reliable and cost-effective water services for commercial and industrial establishments

• Enhance asset value

• Optimize system performance and life-cycle costs

• Reduce operating costs – proactive vs. reactive maintenance

• Encourage smart growth


Triple Bottom Line – Social Responsibility

• Reliable public infrastructure

• Provide water, wastewater and stormwater services at affordable costs

• Improve employee productivity and satisfaction

• Educate and train employees

• Provide public education

• Be a good neighbor


This Requires Holistic and Integrated Thinking about the Entire Water Cycle


Understanding Challenges and Goals – Where are the Opportunities?

• Energy Efficiency

• Resource Recovery

• Education of Staff and Public


Energy Efficiency: There is Much Room for Improvement

• 3% of the nation’s energy consumption is due to water and wastewater infrastructure

• Some 30 to 60% of a city’s energy bill is due to water and wastewater utility energy consumption

• Inefficiencies typically represent 30% of an energy bill


We are Paying for Energy Efficiency Projects Whether or not we do the Projects

• Most utility bills include a tariff to pay for energy efficiency incentive projects

• Energy projects pay for themselves in energy savings

• Most likely source of financing and funding

• Ratepayers and constituency support energy efficiency

• Energy costs continue to rise


Energy Efficiency: Water System Opportunities

• Conservation

• Reduce unaccounted for water

• Improved water metering, calibration

• Pressure reducing valves source of energy

• Pumping efficiencies

– When you pump

– Why you pump

– To what levels do you pump


Raw Water Pumps

Ozone

Rapid Mix & Flocculation

Filters/DAF

Chemicals/ Residuals

Finished Water Pumps

Vehicle Storage

Building Systems

Existing Energy Use

Know Your Facility’s Power “Pie Chart”

Annual Energy Savings

• $157,000 from switching electricity suppliers

• $108,000 from rescheduling operations

• $22,000 from participating in curtailment program

• $10,000 from reducing the finished water reservoir level

• $75,000 from installing more efficient Raw Water Pumps with VFDs

• $45,000 from upgrading HVAC systems

• $40,000 from epoxy coating Finished Water Pump

• $32,000 from upgrading lighting systems

Case Study: Water Purification Facility

Fuel

Reclaimed Water & HydroThermal

Biosolids & Nutrients

(Fuel & Fertilizer)

Wastewater Treatment Plants Are Resource Recovery Centers

Organic Waste

Solar and Wind

Water, Biosolids, Energy and Nutrient

Resource Center

Energy (Heat, Power)

Opportunities for Sustainability, Energy Conservation and Revenue

• Optimize the infrastructure in place

– Use the collection system for pre-treatment

– Use excess tankage to optimize performance

– Know your facility’s energy pie chart

– Optimize chemical use

• Consider Renewables

– Solar

– Wind

– Heat pumps

– Hydropower


Opportunities for Sustainability, Energy Conservation and Revenue (cont.’d)

• Water Reclamation

– Irrigation, cooling water

– Scalping plants

• Fats Oils and Grease to biofuels

• Biosolids

– Land application, soil amendments

– Fertilizer

– Anaerobic digestion to biogas

– Co-digestion with organic waste

– Heat recovery from incineration

• Nutrient Recovery

Sustainable Regulations

• Indirect environmental impacts of extreme limits cannot be ignored

• Push for creative permitting

– Understand the goals that we are trying to achieve

– Consider energy and sustainability

– Flow based permitting

– Load based permits

• Reasonable water reuse regulations – “just because you can measure it doesn’t mean it’s bad for you”

• Integrated Planning

Education of staff and public

• Encourage/support participation in trade organizations

• Support the STEM program

• Hire new grads – different mentality/new perspective

• Provide incentives for good ideas and performance

• Use social media to get message out

• Offer programs to individuals on fixed income to provide services in lieu of payment


Water and Sewer Rates Don’t Cover Costs – Put it in Perspective

• Bottled Water - $1/16 oz.

– $8/gallon

• Tap water - $3.92/100 cf

– $0.0052/gallon

• When talking about increases to rates don’t underestimate the worth


Summary

• Understanding your system, the inter-relationship of your systems, and the energy use will help to maximize efficiencies

• Water, biosolids, nutrients and energy are valuable resources

• An integrated approach with water reclamation, biosolids management, energy recovery and nutrient removal is key to achieving solutions that meet multiple objectives

• Education of staff, consumers and public officials is key to obtaining funding and operating an efficient system


Energy and Sustainability: Turning Challenges into...

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