The Energy and Water Efficiency Benefits of Distributed Recycled Water Production Delivery

Water and energy are inextricably linked.  Moving water, heating water, treating water are each enormously energy intensive.  Further, the very production of power consumes vast quantities of water.  In an ironic twist, as the world reaches deeper into the ground for water supplies, and moves farther afield to access water, getting that water to where it is needed requires more power, which in turn requires more water.  

Water scarcity and the energy intensity of water are placing extreme pressure on natural resources and power systems throughout the world.  That water/energy nexus – the link between power and water – demands that the most power efficient systems be deployed first, and then augmented by power intensive technologies for only the minimum volumes associated with potable water production. 

This paper will demonstrate the energy and water savings of choosing dual water systems – one potable and one recycled – over the traditional infrastructure deployment methodology.  When deployed as an element of a regional planning initiative, using recycled water in lieu of potable water can consume 25% to 50% less power than single plumbed, all potable, systems.  For a 70,000 unit development, the resultant cumulative energy savings are in the order to 11% of the entire energy budget for the community.  This reinforces the water savings of water recycling which can reduce the community water consumption by as much as 60%.