Conduit Hydro for Municipal Water Systems

摘要

The United States continues to work toward developing more "Green" power alternatives to reduce energy consumption, reduce dependency on foreign sources of energy, and to reduce carbon emissions into our atmosphere. One of the oldest ways of producing clean renewable power is by harnessing the power of water. For centuries water flow in streams and rivers has been harnessed to generate power. However, this energy is not just confined to rivers and streams. There are many conduit hydropower opportunities that exist throughout the water and wastewater infrastructure in the US. Any location where the potential energy of water is being wasted presents a potential opportunity for "Green" hydropower production.rnThis paper will focus on the conduit hydropower as it relates to the water and wastewater industry. It will present the basic terminology required for water professionals to be able to communicate to the hydropower industry. It will present the old and new technologies that are currently available for developing conduit hydropower at reasonable costs. The opportunities for conduit hydropower development will be described. Permitting is a significant factor in the success of a hydropower project that will be addressed.