The Wastewater Market

Across the country, states and municipalities are devoted to developing more sustainable wastewater operations. The aging infrastructure present a unique opportunity to optimize operations, and CAPEX investments of $273 billion are expected over the next eight years.

Rising OPEX across the water and wastewater sector in general also demonstrates that U.S. utilities need to embrace innovative technologies. Implementing automation, a more data driven approach to operations as well as smart resource utilization are key in reducing operational costs – fields in which Danish companies have great experience and high-quality solutions.

The Wastewater Team’s efforts are strategically focused on the Midwest, Texas and California, where the market is mature. Furthermore, the sustainable agenda is highly prioritized in California, where the state’s ambitions to reduce environmental impact and lower GHG emissions have resulted in stricter regulations.

From Wastewater Treatment Plant to Water Resource Recovery Facility

One of the often unutilized opportunities of reducing energy consumption and increasing sustainability at U.S. utilities is generating energy and heat through intelligent use of carbon.

In the U.S., the energy consumption related to wastewater treatment accounts for approximately 35 percent of a typical municipality’s budget, and the EPA estimates that the GHG emissions in the U.S. water stream accounts for approximately 45 million tons of GHG annually. Therefore, the need to rethink old practices, sharing knowledge with progressive utilities and technologies to lower emissions and cut operational costs is in high demand.

Developing net-zero facilities by implementing energy efficient solutions such as VFD’s, efficient blowers, real-time sensors and control and mechanical mixers etc. as well as producing biogas from the sludge is a great way to optimize the treatment process and solve some of the challenges related to resource recovery.

Market Opportunities

Through decades of continuous work and strict regulations, the Danish water sector has achieved the most sustainable wastewater treatment process in the world. Now, as the U.S. is facing many of the same challenges, and focus on sustainability, energy efficiency and reducing operational costs have increased, great opportunities for Danish companies lies within areas such as:

• Process optimization
• Advanced biological treatment
• Real-time control and automation
• Data management
• Resource efficiency and recovery
• Biogas utilization  
• Biosolids

How We Work

Knowledge sharing is at the core of what we do. Through local workshops and fact finding tours the Wastewater Team aims to facilitate solution sharing and assists Danish companies in entering the U.S. wastewater market.

Over the years, the team has established a strong network in the industry, and our three dedicated advisors based in Chicago and Houston, are ready to assist your company in identifying and connecting with the right stakeholders.