Due to a variety of factors including population growth, more stringent discharge regulations, and the need to treat polluted stormwater before it returns to the watershed, the EPA estimates that water and wastewater treatment capacity will need to grow by 5-8% annually over the next decade unless we employ strategies--such as low impact development, conservation and efficiency--that reduce the need for infrastructure expansion. Furthermore, wastewater treatment plants are often the single largest consumer of electricity for local governments. This report, published by Pacific Gas and Electric, finds that there is huge potential to reduce energy use in wastewater treatment facilities. Read this report to get a sense of how wastewater treatment facilities can begin to mitigate climate change, better serving their customers and save money by operating more efficiently. For the full report, click here (PDF 680 KB) or on the image below.