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Energy Management Pilot for Municipal Wastewater & Drinking Water Facilities
Fourteen Plants Statewide to Reduce Energy, Cut Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Save Communities Money
Shown in the Falmouth drinking water treatment plant during the Energy Management Pilot announcement are: (l-r) Falmouth Selectman Catherine Bumpus; Falmouth Selectmen Chairman Kevin Murphy; State Rep. Eric Turkington; Robert Mahoney, Governing Board Chairman of the Cape Light Compact; Raymond Jack, Director of Falmouth Public Works; Commissioner Laurie Burt; Secretary Ian Bowles; State Rep. Matthew Patrick; and Falmouth Town Manager Robert Whritenour, Jr.
MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt and EOEEA Secretary Ian Bowles stand among the water distribution pipes at the Long Pond Drinking Water Treatment Facility in Falmouth during the announcement of the Energy Management Pilot Program. |
The Patrick Administration has announced the first phase of an innovative pilot program, targeting 14 wastewater and drinking water treatment plants across the state, which will reduce the amount of energy that municipal facilities currently use to treat wastewater and drinking water, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save communities money.
The "Energy Management Pilot for Wastewater and Drinking Water Plants" brings together state and federal agencies and electric and gas utilities to conduct facility energy audits, assess each plant for its renewable and clean energy possibilities, and offer support for the implementation of these energy-related projects.
MassDEP is taking the lead on the pilot program, and is being joined by the following project partners: Massachusetts Division of Energy Resources (DOER); U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region I; NSTAR; National Grid/KeySpan; Bay State Gas; Cape Light Compact; Western Massachusetts Electric; Unitil; Berkshire Gas; the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative; the University of Massachusetts-Amherst's Center for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; and the Consortium for Energy Efficiency.
The pilot program was announced in December at the Long Pond Water Treatment Facility in Falmouth, which is a model plant that is effectively integrating energy efficiency and renewable sources into their drinking water and wastewater operations.
"Drinking water and wastewater treatment are vital services for protecting public health, but they consume large amounts of energy and drain municipal budgets," Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles said at the Falmouth announcement. "This pilot project will help a first round of municipalities reduce their energy use and save money for their customers - and lead the way for others to do the same."
"MassDEP regulates water treatment to ensure environmental quality, but we also want to help treatment facilities reach the highest standards of water quality at the lowest cost, and with the lowest emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants that come from power generation," said MassDEP Commissioner Laurie Burt at the Falmouth event. "Working with our partners, MassDEP can help communities save money and make their water treatment operations greener at the same time."
Also speaking at the Falmouth announcement were Falmouth Director of Public Works Raymond Jack, Falmouth Board of Selectmen Chairman Kevin Murphy, Cape Light Compact Governing Board Chairman Robert Mahoney, and state Representatives Eric Turkington and Matthew Patrick.
Communities Spend Millions on Electrical Costs for Water Treatment
Massachusetts' cities and towns spend approximately $150 million per year in electrical costs to treat 662 billion gallons of wastewater and drinking water. In Massachusetts, about 35-40 percent of a treatment plant's operating budget involves the purchase of energy to treat drinking water or wastewater.
If the targeted energy reductions of this pilot are achieved and expanded throughout the entire municipal wastewater and water utility sector, the result would be a total annual reduction of approximately 200,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), 760,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide (SO2), and 250,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide (NOx).
The pilot program will involve drinking water facilities in Ashland, Easton, Falmouth, Lee, New Bedford, Townsend and Worcester. The program will also involve the following wastewater plants: the Barnstable Wastewater Treatment Facility; the Charles River Pollution Control District (Bellingham, Dover, Franklin, Medway, Millis, Norfolk, Sherborn and Wrentham); the Falmouth Wastewater Treatment Facility; the Greater Lawrence Sewer District (Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, North Andover, and Salem, NH); the Lowell Regional Wastewater Utility (Chelmsford, Dracut, Lowell, Tewksbury and Tyngsboro); the Pittsfield Wastewater Treatment Facility; and the Upper Blackstone Wastewater Pollution Control District (Auburn, Holden, Millbury, Rutland, West Boylston and Worcester).
For this pilot program, electric and gas utilities will provide facility energy audits that will help to quantify energy uses and costs for each facility and identify potential reductions or savings through conservation. The audits will cover electric, natural gas, and fuel oil usage.
As part of the program, each facility will receive an EPA "Energy Star Benchmarking" energy performance score. This will provide an initial screening of the plants, as well as an ongoing tracking measure to compare their energy performance against similar plants nationwide.
UMass-Amherst's Northeast Combined Heat and Power (CHP) program will conduct a detailed feasibility analysis on up to two wastewater plants looking for CHP and energy savings opportunities, and will screen another five municipal wastewater facilities.
The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative's (MTC) Renewable Energy Trust will provide renewable energy technical assessments in order to identify any concerns in pursuing wind power, bio-energy, solar, microturbines or other sources of renewable energy at the pilot program sites.
The cost of implementing the first phase of this pilot program is estimated at $326,000, with the funding coming from the utilities' energy efficiency incentive programs and the DOER Energy Audit program. The pilot will also bring together sources of funds to support implementation of conservation and renewable energy projects at these facilities, including MTC Renewable Energy Trust grants, State Revolving Fund low-interest loans, and DOER's Energy Conservation Improvement and Alternative Energy funds.
For more information on this pilot program, go to: www.mass.gov/dep/public/press/1207ener.htm
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