Climate Change Impacts

These systems typically consume significant energy:

• Water supply pumping (particularly over long distances).
• Wastewater treatment plants.

The energy consumption, and therefore the greenhouse gas emissions related to this aspect of infrastructure, depends partly on the amount of water that must be moved (water consumption).

In addition to the above energy consumers:

• Greenhouse gas emissions can also arise from landfilling biosolids, the residuals in wastewater, without landfill gas capture.
• Greenhouse gas emissions — including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide —also arise directly from specific wastewater treatment processes. In general, these emissions have not been as well characterized as those from many other sectors.

Actions

• Water conservation, which is usually implemented to address water resource issues, can reduce a water-supply system’s energy consumption and associated climate change impacts. Reducing water consumption also lessens the energy needed for wastewater treatment and thus has multiple benefits. For example:
  • Albuquerque has reduced water usage by 33 percent since 1994.
  • The Southern Nevada Water Authority has a strong water conservation program and a wide range of tools and information online.
• Local wastewater recycling (via decentralized treatment) can reduce energy needs where the recycled water (typically for non-potable uses) replaces fresh water that would have to be pumped long distances. 
  • Albuquerque has also won international awards for its system to treat and reuse wastewater. 
• Monitoring, maintenance and upgrading of water and wastewater systems also results in energy and water savings. Stopping leaks in pipes reduces the need to pump and treat water.