Carol Miller, professor and head of the department of civil and environmental engineering, stands at the Detroit River bank.

DETROIT - July 14, 2009   Carol Miller, professor and head of the department of civil and environmental engineering, has received a $1.48 million grant from the Great Lakes Protection Fund to develop computer software to reduce energy waste during water utilities delivery. The software, which will allow water utility controllers to make “on-the-fly” decisions on the optimal way to take drinking water from its source, will be piloted at the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department (DWSD), the third largest water utility in the nation providing service to Detroit and more than a hundred surrounding communities. Miller explains that, currently, most water pumps are controlled by human operators who make their decisions on when and how to pump water from experience, often resulting in waste of water and energy. The software being developed will allow operators to look at a graphical screen that shows how much energy would be used from pumping at different times. More energy-efficient pumping operations should also translate into significantly reduced utility operations costs. “Water utilities are the Detroit region’s third largest energy consumer,” says Miller. “Any savings that can be found in delivery of water will be significant. Cutting down on every use will eliminate amounts of greenhouse gas, water pollution and wildlife destruction.” Miller expects the software to reduce the air and water footprint of water utility operations in one year by about 4.75 tons of carbon dioxide, more than two tons of methane, more than three tons of nitrogen oxides, and 200,000 pounds of sulfur oxide emissions. Additionally, Miller says, the water quality of the Great Lakes will improve as less chemically and thermally modified water will re-enter the water system. “We need to be better stewards of our water,” says Miller. “We’ve been accustomed to cheap, clean water and don’t always use it conservatively. Recently we’ve seen other regions in the country going through water shortage crises and have begun to look at ourselves and what we can do to conserve our water.”