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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

Knowledge Transfer to the Environmental Industry

John Murphy

Electric Power Research Institute

Community Environmental Center

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

Electric Power Research Institute

• Principal research organization for companies in power generation, delivery, sales & related services

• Members include over 1000 energy organizations from around the world

• Over $ 250 million in funding in 2001• National and global reach with > 30 centers

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

• Strategic research

• Public benefit research

• Business-critical technology

• Proprietary benefits

• Technical services

• Off-the-shelf products

Providing…

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

EPRI Community Environmental Center (CEC) & the EPRI Municipal Water & Wastewater (MWW) Program

• CEC founded at Washington University in St. Louis in 1993 to administer MWW Program and Healthcare Initiative

• Mission include research, development and deployment of new technologies for water and wastewater treatment, healthcare issues

• Deployment accomplished through:– Collaborative research with other industry

organizations– Presentations at industry conferences– Conferences & workshops– Technical publications

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

EPRI Municipal Water and WastewaterFocus

• Collaborative Research with Other Partners– EPA Grant on decentralized wastewater– U.S. Bureau of Reclamation capacitive deionization study– State Agencies, California Energy Commission,

NYSERDA, etc.

• Technology Application– Technology demonstration and deployment– Energy management

• Technology Transfer– Publications– Conferences & workshops– Plant tours

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

• Conduct Research and Demonstration Projects Conducted over 80 research and testing projects on

new technologies Results used to link developers and users in various

ways

• Promote Knowledge Transfer

EPRI Municipal Water and Wastewater Program

Conferences & workshops (3-6/yr) tailored to variety of audiences:

City council members Plant managers Engineers and plant designers General public

Publish a variety of technical documents

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

• Range of Publications Types (electronic & print)

General conferences on various treatment topics Technology-specific workshops (e.g., SCADA,

membranes, privatization) Roundtable Forums on various topics

Technical Reports – geared towards engineers, designers, technically inclined audience

TechCommentaries –summaries of specific technologies TechApplications – summaries of specific case studies

Knowledge Transfer Methods

• Types of Conferences & Workshops

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

Conference & Workshop Attendees

– Electric utility customer lists– Past contacts at water/wastewater

treatment plants– Collaborators from industrial alliances– Trade associations member lists– Directories for water/wastewater industry– Professional engineering societies– Advertisement in other industry

publications

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

• Water and Wastewater Industrial Alliances: – Trade

• Water Environment Research Foundation• American Water Works Association Research

Foundation• Various state sections of AWWA, WEF

– Federal Government• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency• U.S. Bureau of Reclamation• U.S. Department of Energy• California Energy Commission

EPRI Community Environmental CenterIndustrial Alliances

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

– State Agencies• New York State Energy Research and

Development Authority

• Southwest Florida Water Management District

• Wisconsin Energy Center

– Water & wastewater utilities across country

– Various engineering design firms– Various universities– Other organizations (e.g. SF Bay Area

Dischargers Association, BOC, Inc.)

EPRI Community Environmental CenterIndustrial Alliances

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

Recent Publications List (released since 1999)

Clear Solutions Newsletters

Pulsed UV Light for Drinking Water Tech Report

VARI-RO Desalting Pilot Study Tech Report

Total Energy & Water Quality Management Tech Report

Desalting & Water Treatment Membrane Manual Tech Report

Joint Meter Reading Tech Report

Lake Michigan Membrane/Ozone Demonstration Tech Report

Passaic Valley (NJ) WWTP Ozone Study Tech Report

ICR Pilot Study Results at Houston Tech Report

High-Rate Clarification of Wet Weather Tech Commentary Issues for O3 for Drinking Water Tech Commentary

Techs for Desalination of Brackish Water Tech Commentary

Electron Beam Treatment of Water Tech Brief

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

Case study: Knowledge transfer for UV disinfection of drinking water

• Regulation drives the technology need• Groundwater Disinfection Rule requires all water

systems using groundwater to disinfect Many utilities do not want taste, danger of chlorine Prior to 1995 virtually no alternatives

• EPRI CEC & AWWARF cosponsored collaborative evaluation of alternative, electric-based technologies for inactivating Cryptosporidium in 1997 Demonstrated effectiveness of UV Results published in 1998 report, JAWWA article, numerous

conferences• ‘97 Study spurred additional research: subsequent research

by others showed low dosage of UV would inactivate Cryptosporidium

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

Case study: Knowledge transfer for UV disinfection of drinking water (cont’d)• EPRI CEC and AWWARF cosponsored collaborative

1998 study conducted at water treatment plants in Maine & Indiana to identify full-scale O&M costs, issues

• Final report (published in 2000) provides specific design, cost guidance for Design engineers City engineers Decision makers

• Subsequent publications & presentations used to publicize results

• Evidence suggest widespread implementation of UV disinfection systems for groundwater plants

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Solutions for the rapidly changing energy industry

Summary

• Advanced materials will have broad application in future water & wastewater treatment applications

• Implementing new technologies requires demonstration & broad dissemination of results, benefits, costs

• EPRI’s extensive network of industrial alliances provide means for effective knowledge transfer to and from environmental industry

• EPRI’s relation with electric utilities & water/wastewater industry gives unique perspective and advantages to collaboration