Energy Efficiency in Water Services: Opportunities and Benchmarks for South Africa

Abstract

Water and energy are inextricably linked: pumping, treatment, and distribution account for up to 40% of some municipalities’ electricity bills. This report benchmarks energy use across the water cycle for 20 South African water service providers and identifies efficiency opportunities through pump scheduling optimisation, variable-speed drives, pressure reduction, and system redesign. A water-energy nexus accounting tool is developed for use by water utilities.

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