The Partners at HERWIT have been performing energy audits and analyses for over 17 years.   This includes everything from complete electrical load analysis for the 150 million gallon per day Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant to unit process studies for cogeneration feasibility at the Cities of Bakersfield, Napa, and Tulare, to aeration efficiency alternatives analysis at the City of Tulare, The Truckee Meadows Water Reclamation Facility (Reno, NV), and Cowlitz Water Pollution Control Plant in Oregon.  They have spoken at national and local conferences in Dallas, Chicago, New Orleans, Reno, and Las Vegas about energy efficient control systems, pumping systems and aeration systems.   As part of this public education, They have co-authored numerous papers on energy efficient systems for pumping stations, aeration systems, and aeration control systems, the three largest energy uses in any wastewater treatment plant.

 Energy Efficiency in Water and Wastewater Treatment and Pumping Facilities

As you may know, it is not unusual for the city wastewater treatment facility to be the largest single source of power usage at a city.  This is primarily because pumping and aeration processes often found at these facilities are very energy intensive.  In addition to these systems, there are other systems at these facilities that can also use substantial amounts of energy, including sludge pumping systems, sludge thickening and dewatering systems, gas handling systems, and conveying systems.  

On the water treatment side, there are pumping stations on the distribution side and internal to the water treatment plant.  Mixing and solids handling can also be energy intensive processes depending on the specific process chosen.

In general, any treatment or distribution system that is more than 5-10 years old is likely to have opportunities for significant energy savings of at least 15% to 20% of connected load.  These energy savings can be achieved in a variety of ways.  These include operational changes to existing systems such as modifications to the dissolved oxygen level control system for the aeration process, replacement of outdated processes with a newer and more energy efficient process such as replacement of course bubble diffusers with fine bubble diffusers, the addition of new equipment such as variable frequency drives to constant speed motors, and the addition of new PLC based control systems to automate energy efficient operations.

In evaluating alternatives to energy intensive operations, it is our experience that no changes to treatment and pumping process can effectively be made without a through understand of the process design and the factors leading towards the particular processes already in use at the facility.  HERWIT Engineering is made up of both mechanical and civil process engineers who design these facilities on a regular basis, as well as evaluate them.  This allows us to make modifications that maintain the original design intent, operations preferences, and process performance while integrating the newer energy saving technologies.  

Services 

HERWIT Engineering is a complete design and planning firm for the water and wastewater industry.  And we can provide complete and comprehensive services to support the realization of energy savings for our clients.  We can provide initial energy audits, feasibility studies, final design, and construction management of all recommended improvements, as well as follow up analysis to verify that the energy savings are obtained.  As part of our work in the industry, we have developed relationships with specialty vendors that allow packaged or design build approaches to energy savings technologies if the traditional procurement method is not desired.  We can guarantee our recommendations will reduce energy usage at these facilities.

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