The U.S. EPA estimates 30 to 40 percent of a municipality’s energy consumption is for treating water and wastewater. That’s a total of $4 billion annually nationwide. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), meanwhile, states that electricity represents about 75 percent of the cost of municipal water processing and distribution.How does a utility manage energy usage to reduce consumption at the water treatment plant without sacrificing water quality or adding time-consuming steps for staff? The first step is benchmarking — establishing total consumption and comparing it to similar facilities.Second is an energy audit. This is a study that quantifies the
