Feasibility of using secondary-treated municipal wastewater as cooling water in energy generation

ENVR 193

Shih-Hsiang Chien, shc52@pitt.edu1, Ming-Kai Hsieh, mingkaih@andrew.cmu.edu2, David A. Dzombak2, and Radisav Vidic, vidic@engr.pitt.edu1. (1) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 3700 O'Hara Street, Benedum Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15261, (2) Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave, Porter Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
It is estimated that water demand for energy generation in the U.S. will increase by 50% by 2030 while facing severe water shortage and fierce competition with other uses. This study evaluated the feasibility of using treated municipal wastewater as a main source for cooling water in power generation. Datasets of 17,864 publicly owned treatment works (POTWs) and 110 proposed power plants were evaluated using GIS analysis tools. 81% of the proposed power plants could get sufficient cooling water from POTWs within a 10 mile radius, while 97% would meet their needs with POTWs within a 25 mile radius. In addition, one fairly large POTW within a reasonable distance from each proposed power plant could meet most of its cooling water needs. The tools developed in this study can be used to evaluate a number of scenarios for alternative cooling water supply needed for energy generation in the future.
 

Understanding the Water Footprint of Energy Production from Conventional and Alternative Sources
1:30 PM-4:50 PM, Wednesday, April 9, 2008 Morial Convention Center -- Rm. 236, Oral

Division of Environmental Chemistry

The 235th ACS National Meeting, New Orleans, LA, April 6-10, 2008