Water Utilities Save Money, Energy with Watergy Practices, According to New White Paper

By Rachel Damery

A recent white paper written by the Alliance to Save Energy and the Policy Navigation Group highlights the Watergy program’s approach to water and energy efficiency in water utilities. This approach includes water utilities taking steps to make improvements to their pumping systems, leak detection and repair, automate their system operations, and regularly monitor and meter energy and water use.

The paper discusses the significance of the intersection between water and energy, and provides analysis of many of the challenges to implementing efficiency programs in water utilities. These challenges include capital limitations and the the growing energy intensity of water treatment processes due to more stringent water quality standards.

The Watergy approach provides solutions for overcoming these barriers to water and energy efficiency programs. The paper features an overview of a recently concluded Watergy pilot project in Bucks County, Pennsylvania to demonstrate the benefits and potential of the Watergy method, which uncovered energy savings of 25% of the Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority’s annual energy use..

The case study demonstrates that water and wastewater utilities have enormous potential for achieving greater water and energy efficiency, and that the implementation of successful energy efficiency programs requires coordination among water and electric utilities and other partners familiar with the challenges of the water industry.

Why Watergy Matters for Industry

As many industrial processes require both large amounts of both energy and water, there is great potential for industrial plants to achieve water and energy savings through efficiency projects similar to those implemented by the Watergy program. Understanding the relationship between water and energy is critical for the advancement of more efficient practices in industry, as is finding innovative ways to overcome many of the same challenges faced by water and wastewater utilities. Building upon these principles, the Watergy program serves as a basis for water and energy efficiency methods that could be adapted for potential use in the industrial sector.

More Information on Watergy

• Watergy Program Page
  
• Watergy Fact Sheets
• Bringing the Watergy Approach to the U.S.
• Results of the Bucks County Watergy Pilot