WERF PROGRAMS AND RESEARCH PROJECTS DESIGNED TO LOWER CAPITAL COSTS

Over the past decade, the Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) has been instrumental in identifying challenges for the wastewater industry and developing a number of tools, protocols, and/or resources to do more at less cost. Highlights of relevant WERF research projects that help utilities to benchmark amongst one another, identify and learn from the “best” or “most effective” practices from within and outside the water & wastewater industry, better manage assets and infrastructure, identify and eliminate or reduce waste and inefficiencies, improve treatment processes and gain additional performance at lower cost, etc., are presented. These techniques have been applied within the wastewater collection systems (including sewer pipes and pump stations), the wastewater treatment facility, various treatment processes within the plant (including liquids and solids streams), and outside the plant (disposal or reuse of treatment products – biosolids and recycled water). The paper cites relevant WERF research projects (completed and ongoing) that are helping utilities and the water quality industry lower the total costs to manage and treat wastewater.