Abstract
This manuscript uses data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to analyze the potential for energy recovery from wastewater treatment plants via anaerobic digestion with biogas utilization and biosolids incineration with electricity generation. These energy recovery strategies could help offset the electricity consumption of the wastewater sector and represent possible areas for sustainable energy policy implementation. We estimate that anaerobic digestion could save 628 to 4,940 million kWh annually in the United States. In Texas, anaerobic digestion could save 40.2 to 460 million kWh annually and biosolids incineration could save 51.9 to 1,030 million kWh annually.
Highlights
IntroductionWastewater treatment plants represent a portion of the broader nexus between energy and water [1]
Wastewater treatment plants represent a portion of the broader nexus between energy and water [1].Collecting, treating, and discharging municipal wastewater to acceptable permit standards requires energy, mostly as electricity, and as natural gas or other fuels
Analysis of energy recovery potential for wastewater treatment plants using anaerobic digestion with biogas utilization was based on Clean Watershed Needs Survey (CWNS) data and biogas energy factors reported by Burton and Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) [10,20]
Summary
Wastewater treatment plants represent a portion of the broader nexus between energy and water [1]. Collecting, treating, and discharging municipal wastewater to acceptable permit standards requires energy, mostly as electricity, and as natural gas or other fuels. Possible future standards for removal of currently-unregulated contaminants, such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products, might require significant increases in energy consumption at wastewater treatment plants [3,4]. Wastewater treatment processes chemically, physically, and biologically treat raw municipal sewage and separate wastes into a liquid effluent stream, which is usually discharged to a receiving water body, and solid-liquid streams of debris and sludge [7]. Some municipal wastewater treatment plants incinerate dewatered biosolids as a means of disposal, which requires dewatering prior to incineration
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