Tips for Water & Wastewater Treatment Facilities
Aeration Systems
- Monitor for even air delivery to aeration tanks and the distribution within the tank. Repair systems immediately if needed.
- Review your aeration tanks to assess if one can be idled.
- Install variable speed drives to operate the blower at an appropriate speed.
- Consider upgrading to a high-speed turbo blower for maximum efficiency.
- Check the sheave sizes on the motor and blower to identify the speed of the unit to identify if the speed can be reduced.
- Check discharge pressure of your blower to assess if the diffusers are dirty or a valve is partially closed.
Pumping
- Check if any valves are closed or throttled on the discharge. Obtain kW readings and flow measurements on pump motor to identify its efficiency.
- Obtain power bills to check if there have been any noticeable changes.
- Note if any pumps are exhibiting excessive vibration during operation.
- Identify the pump you have had the most problems with and assess if a change in pump selection would resolve the problem, generally most pumps are oversized for their application.
- Review the load factor and length of time a pump is operating to assess if a smaller pump would help or a variable speed drive.
- Check that all appurtenances in the force main are properly working (such as a pressure release valve is functioning and not air binding the pump).
Lighting
- Turn lights off when you leave an area and use natural lighting whenever possible.
- Use timers and occupancy sensors and keep them properly set (e.g. no outside lights during the day).
- Replace existing lights with newer, more energy-efficient LEDs, CFLs or T-8 lamps.
- Utilize day lighting in building renovations.
- Shade windows that are receiving direct sun.
Cooling
- Make sure all exterior walls, ceilings and wall cavities are properly insulated.
- Keep doors and windows closed when running your air conditioning system.
- Consider applying ENERGY STAR® “cool roof” material to your roof.
- Install an Energy Management System (EMS) to control cooling systems.
- Choose ENERGY STAR® equipment when replacing cooling systems.