Project #5255

Developing a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Library for Unit Processes by Water Utilities and Decentralized Systems

$956,150
In Progress
Principal Investigator
John
Willis
Research Manager
Harry Zhang, PhD, PE
Contractor
Brown and Caldwell
Climate Mitigation & Greenhouse Gases
Climate Risk Assessment
Integrated Planning & Water Management
Resilience
Decentralized Systems

Abstract

The objective of this research is to develop and establish the first Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data Utility (GHG EDU) to collate, share, and enable syntheses of GHG emissions data from Water Sector sources for higher accuracy and higher process-specificity emissions factors (EFs) and methodologies. Once well-populated, the GHG EDU would allow data-based identification of more accurate sets of EF for water, wastewater, reuse water, and stormwater GHG emissions; and provide definitive guidance for their use.

Partnerships with The Climate Registry (TCR) and ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, two of the most commonly used GHG protocols for our industry, will allow incorporating improved One Water estimation methodologies and enhance current protocols by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).