Wastewater treatment is a resource-intensive process that utilises several inputs, such as energy, chemicals and water, to produce an effluent that meets designated environmental standards. Driven by environmental regulations, the focus of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) has traditionally been the quality of the effluent and not necessarily the energy or resource effi- ciency of the plant. Regulations and penalties provide incentives to meet environmental effluent standards; however, to date, there are no such analogous pen- alties or incentives to expedite a focus on resource efficiency. It is imperative to recognise that resource utilisation and, indeed, sludge management also have significant environmental consequences, and therefore WWTP performance should be viewed holistically. This research sought to address this challenge by adopting a multi-pronged approach to audit and benchmark the resource efficiency of Irish WWTPs, including the use of life-cycle analysis (LCA) and exergy analysis. This study showed that the performance of WWTPs is a function of many variables, including some that the plant manager has little control over, such as influent concentrations and discharge requirements. Therefore, common, simple benchmarking metrics, such as kWh/ m3 or kWh/PE, are unlikely to allow fair comparisons across plants. Similarly, energy audits or water quality testing alone are not sufficient for comprehensive audits and benchmarking plant performance. Effectiveness and efficiency should not be considered separately, and the ultimate goal should be to operate WWTPs that are both effective and efficient. In general, this is best achieved at the design phase, during which the longer term life-cycle costs and performance of the WWTP can be anticipated and optimised, rather than by solely focusing on the initial capital costs.

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Fitzsimons, L.   "Increasing Resource Efficiency in Waste Water Treatment Plants". Associated datasets and digitial information objects connected to this resource are available at: Secure Archive For Environmental Research Data (SAFER) managed by Environmental Protection Agency Ireland https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/resource?id=82ff6a8b-e5f3-11e5-ab63-005056ae0019 (Last Accessed: 2025-01-20)

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SAFER-Data Display URL	https://eparesearch.epa.ie/safer/iso19115/display?isoID=3118
Resource Keywords	Energy Audit, Process Control, Wastewater Treatment Plants
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Code	2012-W-MS-10
EPA/ERTDI/STRIVE Project Theme	Waste and Resource Management
Resource Availability:	Public-Open
Limitations on the use of this Resource	Any attached datasets, data files, or information objects can be downloaded for further use in scientific applications under the condition that the source is properly quoted and cited in published papers, journals, websites, presentations, books, etc. Before downloading, users must agree to the "Conditions of Download and Access" from SAFER-Data. These appear before download. Users of the data should also communicate with the original authors/owners of this resource if they are uncertain about any aspect of the data or information provided before further usage.
Number of Attached Files (Publicly and Openly Available for Download):	3
Project Start Date	Sunday 1st January 2012 (01-01-2012)
Earliest Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects	Sunday 1st January 2012 (01-01-2012)
Most Recent Recorded Date within any attached datasets or digital objects	Thursday 31st December 2015 (31-12-2015)
Published on SAFER	Wednesday 9th March 2016 (09-03-2016)
Date of Last Edit	Monday 9th May 2016 at 15:57:54 (09-05-2016)
Datasets or Files Updated On	Monday 9th May 2016 at 15:57:54 (09-05-2016)

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Description of Geographical Characteristics of This Project or Dataset
Ten representative Irish WWTPs were audited in detail.The plants varied in scale, with regard to their design capacities [which were quantified in terms of units of population equivalent (PE)], from 600 PE to 186,000 PE.Simultaneous energy and resource consumption and water quality audits were undertaken, resulting in the development of benchmarking tools and auditing methodologies, and the detailed performance evaluation of the plants in order to support better resource management and to provide baseline data on the holistic performances of the WWTPs.

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The following is a list of similiar projects and resources on SAFER. Usually these resources share a similiar thematic area to the resource Increasing Resource Efficiency in Waste Water Treatment Plants you are currently viewing. You can view the full description for these projects and resources by using the links supplied.

• Review of Waste/Resource Exchange Systems leading to Good Practice Guide View Full Metadata Description
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• Development of optimised pay-by-use systems which are designed to maximise the incentives for waste reduction while at the same time maintaining a properly functioning waste management system View Full Metadata Description
• The Use of Mesoporous Silicas to Absorb and Separate Metals and Nanoparticles from Aqueous or Organic Solutions View Full Metadata Description
• A Nationwide Review of Pay-By-Use (PBU) Domestic Waste Collection Charges in Ireland View Full Metadata Description

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