A Pathway to Energy Neutrality for the NYC DEP Water Resource Recovery Facilities

The New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has the goal of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% and achieving energy neutrality collectively at its fourteen in-city Wastewater Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF) by 2050. An alternatives analysis was conducted to assess opportunities to reduce power consumption, eliminate fossil fuel usage, where feasible, and produce energy at the WRRFs. Since anaerobic digestion is widely practiced across all the WRRFs, optimizing the productive end use of biogas, and enhancing biogas production through co-digestion of waste organics such as food waste, are key aspects in achieving the City’s goals. Renewable energy production and optimization of secondary aeration, pumping, and carbon capture in primary treatment also collectively play a role in bringing the facilities to energy neutrality. As “green” renewable power usage increases, plant effluent heat recovery and air-sourced heat pumps become an increasingly important component of the overall GHG reduction and energy neutrality strategy.