Quantifying and Benchmarking Drinking Water Treatment Plants Using Energy and Carbon Intensity Metrics: A Case Study in New Jersey

Economic, environmental, and regulatory pressures are bringing increased pressure on heavy electric users—including water utilities—to use benchmarking techniques to analyze energy use. Benchmarking can identify the best and the worst energy performers and highlight facilities that might be good candidates for more detailed analysis of energy use. However, benchmarking energy use in drinking water systems is a complex task, as information from multiple systems must be synthesized to allow for meaningful analysis. Ideally, benchmarking allows for comparisons of energy use between systems, by function, and across multiple facilities within a system. This paper illustrates how energy and water data were collected and synthesized for the purposes of energy benchmarking for a water utility company with extensive operations throughout New Jersey. Energy use and carbon emissions are quantified for one of five operating regions in the state. Energy and carbon intensities are calculated for the region, as well as for the specific functions of groundwater extraction and treatment and surface water extraction and treatment. Furthermore, the energy requirements and energy intensity for specific water extraction and treatment facilities are compared. These results provide direction for compiling data to evaluate other water utilities and provide a starting point for additional and more comprehensive benchmarking efforts.