• Installing less energy-consumptive wastewater aeration blowers, which are more efficient than traditional centrifugal blowers.
• Installing fuel cells within wastewater treatment plants. This emerging technology generates clean electrical power from natural gas as well as the methane found in digestor gas, and is approximately 35 percent more efficient in converting fuel to energy than engine generators.
• Installing photovoltaic panels, which can offset energy bills. California launched a 10-year program that will provide up to $3.4 billion in purchase subsidies.

Optimizing Efficiencies at Small Treatment Plants
"Small wastewater treatment plants are primarily designed to operate 24 hours a day," said Jeff Pape, a Dudek district manager. "On the other hand, larger facilities can operate parts of the plant at varying times to avoid paying premium rates for peak energy usage."

However, there are some simple yet effective steps small facilities can implement to conserve energy. Pape suggests facilities:

• Use energy-efficient motors.
• Use pumps and other equipment during off-peak hours, when possible.
• Use equalization tanks to maintain average flows. The Santa Fe Valley Water Reclamation Facility in San Diego County has a front-end equalization tank that uses pumps running at a constant low frequency, omitting energy-consumptive starts and stops.