Energy Conservation Measures for Wastewater Treatment Facilities

In Energy Conservation Measures for Wastewater Treatment Facilities, you'll learn ...

• Energy conservation methods (ECMs) for pumping systems
• ECMs for aeration systems that are designed to match, as closely as possible, the actual oxygen demands of the process
• Emerging technologies for blowers and diffusers used in aeration systems
• Innovative and emerging ECMs for UV disinfection, membrane bioreactors, and anoxic and aerobic zone mixing
• ECMs for digestion, incineration and thermal drying

Overview

Preview a portion of this course before purchasing it.

Credit: 7 PDH

Length: 89 pages

Providing reliable wastewater services and safe drinking water is a highly energy-intensive activity in the United States. Energy is used throughout the wastewater treatment process; however, pumping and aeration operations are typically the largest energy users. Energy costs in the wastewater industry are rising due to many factors, including implementation of more stringent effluent requirements, such as enhanced removal of nutrients and other emerging contaminants of concern that may, in some cases, lead to the use of more energy intensive technologies. Enhanced treatment of biosolids, including drying/pelletizing and increases in electricity rates are also contributing to higher energy costs. Finally, aging wastewater collection systems that result in additional inflow and infiltration lead to higher pumping and treatment costs.

As a consequence of these rising costs, many wastewater facilities have developed energy management strategies and implemented energy conservation measures (ECMs). This course focuses on energy efficient equipment replacement, operational modifications, and process control enhancements that lead to improved energy efficiency and cost savings with reasonable payback periods.

Furthermore, the course includes summary information on conventional ECMs that are used in the U.S. and have a strong track record of success with respect to energy conservation; however, the focus is identification of innovative and emerging ECMs.

The target audience for this course is civil and environmental engineers who are interested in wastewater treatment at publicly owned treatment works (POTWs).

Specific Knowledge or Skill Obtained

This course teaches the following specific knowledge and skills:

• Motor efficiency standards and management programs
• Importance of power factor
• Variable frequency drives (VFDs) for pumping stations
• ECMs for diffused and mechanical aeration systems
• Automated dissolved oxygen (DO) control and other control parameters
• Control strategies for biological nutrient removal (BRN)
• Comparison of blower types, including turbo blowers
• New diffuser technology
• ECMs for advanced treatment: UV disinfection and membrane bioreactors (MBRs)
• ECMS for solids processing: digestion, incineration, and thermal drying

Certificate of Completion

You will be able to immediately print a certificate of completion after passing a multiple-choice quiz consisting of 35 questions. PDH credits are not awarded until the course is completed and quiz is passed.