Utilities Work To Go Off The Grid

Some water utilities are working hard to become more energy efficient. 

Gresham, OR, and Washington D.C. have initiated projects at their wastewater plants that will allow them to produce on site almost all of the energy needed to power their systems. 

"It’s a sign of the times. Between severe droughts in much of the country and strained operating budgets, more and more utilities are recognizing the need to conserve," according to Governing. 

The two cities are taking different approaches.

Gresham is using "a combination of cogeneration and solar power," the report said. "It’s cogeneration engine works by capturing the methane gas produced from the plant’s digesters -- where the waste is processed -- and turning it into electrical power and heat. This has reduced the city’s annual electricity costs by $260,000." 

In Washington, "DC Water is set to produce 13 megawatts of power...through a process called thermal hydrolysis. It’s a technique that is already in use in Europe but is about to be employed in North America for the first time," the report said. 

Water and wastewater systems require large amounts of power. They "account for approximately 3 to 4 percent of energy use in the United States, adding over 45 million tons of greenhouse gases annually," according to the EPA.

Significant savings are possible, according to the Alliance to Save Energy, "Energy consumption in most water systems worldwide could be reduced by at least 25 percent through cost-effective efficiency actions," the research and advocacy group reported. 

Energy costs are just one challenge among a mounting set of difficulties for water utilities. Between regulatory compliance, aging infrastructure, and reduced revenue due to conservation, "you have a cesspool of financial worries," the Kansas City Star reported, citing a research paper by the consulting firm Black & Veatch. 

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