Deadline: 22-Oct-2025
The Water Research Foundation is inviting proposals for a project aimed at developing and implementing effective strategies to monitor and reduce methane emissions from water resource recovery facilities.
The project objectives include developing standardized methane detection and monitoring methods, and recommending best practices for routine point source, leak detection, and continuous monitoring; identifying and describing the available methane monitoring equipment, and comparing costs, capabilities, calibration/maintenance needs, and ease of use, incorporating best practices from other sectors; determining major methane point sources and leak spots, and measuring real-world emissions across key process areas, including digestion, biogas utilization, and biosolids processes, to prioritize high-risk emission points and support the development of emission factors; using collected point source level and leak detection emissions data to evaluate acceptable leak rates from equipment where zero emissions are not feasible, while drawing on technically achievable, real-world practices; and providing an example of an actionable monitoring program that could be used by water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) to implement their own methane monitoring programs, including workforce development recommendations to assist with program adoption.
The project, with a budget of up to $225,000, is expected to be completed within 24 months. This research is intended to help utilities find, measure, and mitigate methane emissions from point source leaks. Methane, a potent greenhouse gas, poses concerns for both the environment and workplace safety. This initiative comes as regulators and policymakers are increasingly interested in managing these emissions. Recent research has suggested that WRRFs may be emitting more methane than current estimates indicate, highlighting the need for more accurate data and standardized practices.
A key challenge for the water sector is the lack of a uniform approach to detecting and addressing these emissions. This research will draw on lessons from other sectors and provide guidance on various topics, including monitoring techniques, leak detection sampling, scaling measurements, workforce training, corrective actions, and establishing acceptable leak levels. The overall goal is to identify and reduce mitigation-ready point source emissions and leaks at the equipment level. The research will be applicable to utilities of all sizes, supporting their climate action plans and risk mitigation efforts.
The research approach is flexible, encouraging creativity from proposers. It should include a global best-practice review, a virtual utility workshop, and a national survey. Proposers are also expected to compare available methane detection technologies and perform field sampling at a minimum of six facilities across the United States and Canada. The project should aim to utilize real-time monitoring and consider advanced techniques like AI and machine learning to enhance quantification. Additionally, the research should identify reasonable emission rates for equipment where zero emissions are not possible and document real-world mitigation efforts through case studies.
Deliverables will include a literature review, a summary of the national survey and workshop, real-world case studies, a utility-facing guidance document with a practical roadmap for implementation, and broader outreach materials like webcasts, conference presentations, and a peer-reviewed journal paper. Proposals will be accepted from both U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based entities, including educational institutions, research organizations, governmental agencies, consultants, or other for-profit entities. Researchers who are late on any ongoing WRF sponsored studies without approved no-cost extensions are not eligible to be named participants in any proposals. The deadline for proposal submissions is Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 3:00 pm Mountain Time.
For more information, visit WRF.
