Erie County Wastewater Facilities

Filtering out excess energy use at the Erie County DSM

Overview

The Erie County Division of Sewerage Management (DSM) has always valued efficiency. Established in the 1960s, the DSM’s mission is to provide cost-effective, customer-oriented wastewater service that protects public health and enhances the natural environment. This is accomplished through the operation and maintenance of six wastewater treatment facilities, just under 100 pumping stations, five overflow retention facilities, and over 1,000 miles of gravity sewer pipe and force mains.

The largest of the DSM’s wastewater treatment plants is the Southtown’s Advanced Wastewater Treatment Facility. Electricity accounts for 9% of total expenditures at the Southtown treatment plant and is similarly high at the DSM’s other wastewater facilities.

“Energy is a big cost for our utility—and that energy is needed to power our pumps and other equipment that are critical to protect the environment and protect water quality. But also, there’s other environmental aspects that we must consider: we also have to look at our carbon footprint.” – Joe Fiegl, Deputy Commissioner of Erie County’s Department of Environmental Planning

So, when the DSM was invited to join NYSERDA’s Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program, they saw it as a natural fit with their mission.

NYSERDA and Strategic Energy Management

NYSERDA offers its SEM program to wastewater treatment and industrial facilities located throughout New York State. The program is cohort- (or group)-based, which maximizes the opportunity for peer-to-peer learning. The cohort is comprised of eight state municipalities and nine municipal treatment plants. Each cohort member participates in a series of workshops, receives one-on-one coaching from wastewater experts, and participates in a “treasure hunt” and other onsite activities aimed at identifying low- and no-cost energy optimization opportunities.

Additionally, DSM and other cohort members have access to:

• Tools to measure and track energy, to better understand where and how it’s used and to help inform strategic process operating decisions
• Methods for establishing an energy team, promoting energy-focused behavior changes, and integrating continuous energy improvement into core treatment plant processes and operating procedures
• Techniques to evaluate the impacts of energy optimization efforts and share this information municipality-wide
• Procedures that support long-term energy performance improvements and energy, cost, and carbon savings

Accelerated Energy and Cost-savings Across the Board

By participating in NYSERDA’s SEM program, the DSM has uncovered, analyzed, and prioritized energy optimization opportunities that can be addressed strategically as part of everyday operations. This continuous, integrated approach is what makes SEM so powerful.

SEM allows organizations to identify and solve for the little things—the daily processes that are so routine they become almost invisible over time. It also helps facilities take a cross-sectional view of their processes, involving people from every area of the organization who might not otherwise communicate, let alone collaborate. “I thought we were doing a good job before, but there were things we weren’t even looking at.” – Joe Fiegl

NYSERDA’s Strategic Energy Management Program

Through the Strategic Energy Management Program, NYSERDA funds training that guides companies and their employees through the process of establishing and implementing an SEM system. The program helps companies apply the principles of continuous improvement to energy management, to create a long-term comprehensive approach that fosters substantial long-term savings.