Evaluating Energy Efficiency Parameters of Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plants in Terms of Management Strategies and Carbon Footprint Reduction: Insights from Three Polish Facilities

Water management in cities is a critical factor for sustainable growth and development. Satisfying the current needs with respect for the future is not possible without properly managed water and wastewater systems. An essential element of wastewater systems is the wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The nexus between wastewater treatments and energy demand is a well-known problem. In times of energy crisis, effective energy management in this critical infrastructure is a key task. The purpose of this article is to analyze WWTPs' energy consumption with regard to proposed management strategies for managers, designers and decision makers. A detailed analysis of WWTP operational parameters and a proposal of improvement actions will be useful for applicability and benchmarking studies. Estimating the carbon footprint (CF) of selected WWTPs considering the indirect emissions due to energy consumption is an important step for developing energy neutrality of WWTPs. Due to the desire to deepen research in the area of a complex phenomenon, which is the energy management system in WWTPs, the research undertaken herein is based on the case study method of three water and sewage companies operating southwestern Poland. Each urban area has different specificities, natural conditions and needs. The presented results of the analyses may be the basis for developing directions for changes in national policy, other benchmarking studies, and improving the energy management system in WWTPs.