America’s drinking water and wastewater facilities can now save energy and reduce their carbon footprint with expanded tools available from EPA’s Energy Star Program. Enhancements to Portfolio Manager, the agency’s popular energy tracking tool for commercial facilities, allow water utilities to track energy use and associated carbon emissions, set targets for investment priorities, and verify efficiency improvements.
Water and wastewater facilities are energy intensive, accounting for more than one-third of municipal energy use. Improving the energy efficiency of America’s drinking water and wastewater systems by 10 percent would save more than 5 billion kilowatt-hours each year representing a cost savings of about $400 million annually.
“Wasting energy is sending good resources down the drain,” said Benjamin H. Grumbles, assistant administrator for Water. “Energy efficiency is good for the planet as well as the plant managers who make water clean and healthy.”
Drinking water and wastewater systems spend about $4 billion a year on energy to pump, treat, deliver, collect, and clean water at the 52,000 community drinking water and 16,500 wastewater facilities in the United States. Through Energy Star, EPA provides an energy management strategy and no-cost tools for public and private organizations to save energy and money, as well as demonstrate environmental leadership.
More than 800 organizations - including more than 150 local governments and water utilities – have responded to the Energy Star Challenge, EPA’s national call-to-action to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial facilities by 10 percent or more. In June 2007, the U.S. Conference of Mayors endorsed the Energy Star Challenge as a key strategy in meeting the goals of the Mayors Climate Protection Agreement.
Learn more about Energy Star and Portfolio Manager for drinking water systems and wastewater plants at: http://www.energystar.gov/waterwastewater.
