“Energy use is the largest source of air pollution in the country and many communities are working to reduce operating costs and greenhouse gas emissions. The nation’s wastewater plants and drinking water systems spend about $4 billion per year on energy to treat water. If the sector could reduce energy use by just 10 percent through cost-effective investments in energy efficiency, collectively it would save about $400 million annually.

Some of the energy conservation measures discussed included the purchase of fuel-efficient vehicle fleets, the use of methane produced from landfills as fuel for heating or electricity generation, the use of heat pumps as part of utilities’ heating and cooling systems, the use of compact fluorescent bulbs, powering down computers during off-peak hours, purchasing more efficient pumps to collect and process the water, and the use of motion sensors to control lighting in offices and buildings.”

See EPA’s guidebook: Ensuring a Sustainable Future: An Energy Management Guidebook for Wastewater and Water Utilities