Small Wastewater Treatment Facilities Can Be Energy Producers

Wastewater treatment facilities (WWTFs) are implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy modifications to reduce energy consumption and demand from the electric power grid, as a result they are moving toward energy neutrality.To meet this objective, WWTFs first need to become energy efficient to reduce their energy consumption, which will allow them to minimize the size of the renewable energy system they will need to become energy neutral. They can then modify their solids processing strategy to increase the production and beneficial utilization of biogas. Many WWTFs that have anaerobic digesters are not operating the digesters at design (full load capacity) conditions and maximizing their biogas production. However, WWTFs are learning they can generate energy (electric generation and waste heat capture) sufficiently to offset major energy consumption at their facilities and, in some locations, be exporters of energy.