U.S. Department of Energy Resources for Water and Wastewater Facilities

The Water Environment Federation (WEF; Alexandria, Va.) has worked with partners to create a vision of the water utility of the future. Last year, WEF, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies (Washington, D.C.), and the Water Environment Research Foundation (Alexandria, Va.) released “The Water Resources Utility of the Future: A Blueprint for Action.”

As part of this outreach effort, the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy has provided resources to assist water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) improve energy footprints. Resources to help the water sector achieve energy efficiency include

• combined heat and power assessments,
• industrial assessment centers with limited opportunities for facility-wide WRRF assessments,
• a pumping system assessment tool,
• a variable speed drive calculator for pumps, and
• certification of increased energy productivity under ISO 50001.