Wastewater is a renewable resource. Embedded within this resource is an abundance of energy — including thermal, chemical, and hydraulic.
Wastewater contains nearly five times the amount of energy needed for the wastewater treatment process – the majority in the untapped area of thermal energy.
Wastewater facilities have the potential to produce the energy needed to not only treat our water, but to help heat and power the cities that depend on them.
Together we can explore the possibilities of optimising the energy consumption and maximise the energy production. Energy-producing wastewater treatment plants (power stations) are the future, but it is important to take the right steps towards this goal.
Anaerobic digestion allow the production of biogas with high methane content. Biogas is used for onsite energy, powering large pumps, or sold to the Electricity company. This potential can be enhanced if high-strength wastes are brought to the WWTPs for co-digestion with the generated sludge from the wastewater treatment process.