Water and Energy - Draft Report of the GWRC Research ... - IWA

Organisation: UKWIR
Contact person: Pauline Avery
Email address: pavery@ukwir.org.uk
Available reports
04/WW/04/9&10: Sustainable WWTW for Small Communities
Vol I: Sustainability and the Water Industry
Vol II: BPSO Methodology Handbook
Sustainable development is of particular interest to the water industry which finds itself having to
comply with increasingly stringent standards for wastewater effluent quality whilst being pressed
to minimise the cost to the consumer. Treatment processes suitable for achieving these high
standards of effluent quality are likely to involve increased costs, energy usage and greenhouse
gas emissions. These issues are particularly relevant to small wastewater treatment works which
are more likely to be located in remote situations where the application of complex high-energy
processes are probably inappropriate. Volume I discusses the background to sustainability
considerations within the water industry and presents the framework for the methodology.
07/CL/06/5: Climate Change, the Aquatic Environment and the Water Framework
Directive
This project examined the likely effects of climate change on UK water industry compliance
with the Water Framework Directive (WFD), set in the context of other expected changes, such
as demographic shifts or changes in land-use. A range of other drivers were identified - changes
in energy prices, new regulatory targets for energy efficiency, water conservation and flooding,
demographic and land use changes, and new environmental legislation – that are likely to
directly or indirectly affect the water industry.The report proposes a Conceptual Assessment
Framework to identify linkages between different drivers and industry operations and specific
aspects of performance. The framework of drivers and effects was then used to assess the effects
of the WFD, climate change and other drivers, which, with further development, could be used
by water companies to identify appropriate responses.
Ongoing projects
Optimising Energy Efficiency at WWTW Sites
The project will set the framework within which all other energy efficiency R&D projects at
WWTW will take place.
In terms of Biogas it will aim to achieve the following:
• Full technological appraisal of the current and future possible uses for biogas with an
informed cost-benefit analysis based on likely future movements in fuel prices.
• Full review of digestion and biogas production to determine what options are available
for improving both quality and quantity of biogas.
• Assessment of the implications of moving towards waste management
GWRC Water & Energy - Draft report
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