The Illinois EPA Office of Energy has teamed up with SEDAC and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) to help local municipalities reduce the cost of wastewater treatment since 2018.

"The cost of wastewater treatment can be a significant burden for municipalities, especially when the infrastructure is aged or inappropriately sized for the community it serves," says Illinois EPA Director Alec Messina. "This partnership will help municipalities identify ways to improve their systems and realize cost savings for their communities."

SEDAC and ISTC provide free energy usage assessments to publicly-owned wastewater treatment plants. Assessment reports break down recommendations for energy efficiency improvements at each facility, including information such as upfront costs for equipment upgrades or retrofits, simple payback periods, and the resulting energy and monetary savings. Similar assessments would ordinarily cost municipalities between $6,000 and $12,000.

Learn more by reading our Wastewater Treatment Plant Assessment Program Brochure. 

Eligibility

To qualify for an assessment, a wastewater treatment facility must:

1. Be located in Illinois and owned by the State of Illinois or an Illinois unit of local government;
2. Allow SEDAC and ISTC access to the treatment facility;
3. Be willing to share facility information with SEDAC, ISTC and Illinois EPA; and
4. Share the final assessment report with the Illinois EPA.

Application

Apply now for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Assessment program.

Past Workshops and Events

SEDAC is partnered with the Illinois EPA Office of Energy and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC) to offer two educational workshops for wastewater operators this fall on 10/29 in Peoria, IL and 11/5 in Effingham, IL. Please see the event presentations below:

• Rural Community Assistance Program - Technical Assistance and Services for Small Communities - James Meece, Sr. Rural Development Specialist, Great Lakes Rural Community Assistance Program (RCAP)
• Energy Efficiency Programs and Incentives - Byron Lloyd, Energy Adviser, Ameren Illinois
• Illinois EPA WWTP Energy Efficiency Assessment Program - Shawn Maurer, Senior Energy Engineer, SEDAC; Mike Springman, Environmental Engineer, ISTC
• City of Fairfield - Energy Assessment and Grant Funding - Mayor Brent Maguire, City of Fairfield

2018 - IEPA held a workshop at the SIU School of Law on October 26, 2018 featuring energy efficiency for wastewater treatment facilities. Please see the event presentations below:

• Combined Heat and Power for Wastewater Applications - Graeme Miller, Assistant Director, US DOE Midwest CHP Technical Assistance Partnership
• Carbondale Wastewater Treatment Facility - Adam Decker, Plant Superintendent, City of Carbondale
• Village of Cambria - Danny Rowatt and Bruce Hagler, Village of Cambria
• Advancing Energy Efficiency in Wastewater Treatment - Ben Bolton, Energy Programs Administrator, TN Department of Environment and Conservation
• IEPA Wastewater Treatment Plant Energy Assessment Program -  Cassie Carroll and Ryan Siegel, Smart Energy Design Assistance Center (SEDAC) and Mike Springman, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC)
• Energy Efficiency Programs and Incentives - Byron Llyod, Public Sector Energy Advisor, Ameren Illinois

Resources

Read SEDAC's Wastewater Treatment Plant Energy Smart Tip

Read a case study from Carthage, TN on how they reduced energy and saved money.

*Funding provided in whole or in part by the Illinois EPA Office of Energy.