Funding Available to Explore Carbon Management Opportunities in Water Utilities

Deadline: 05-Oct-2026

The Water Research Foundation (WRF) is seeking research proposals to map carbon flows across water utility systems and identify practical opportunities for carbon recovery, capture, conversion, storage, and avoidance. Eligible U.S. and international organizations may request up to $300,000 in WRF funding for a project expected to run for 24 months. What Is the WRF Carbon Flows Research Project? The Water Research Foundation is inviting proposals for research that examines how carbon moves through water utility systems and how utilities can turn carbon management into environmental and economic value. The project will examine carbon flows across a range of water-related systems, including: Drinking water systems Stormwater systems Wastewater treatment systems Advanced water treatment systems Process emissions Treatment residuals Biogas and related resources The goal is to develop practical, research-based information that water utilities can use to identify carbon management opportunities and make informed investment and operational decisions. Why It Matters Water utilities are increasingly considering ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while recovering useful resources from treatment processes. Carbon can exist in multiple forms and locations throughout a water utility system. Understanding these flows can help utilities determine where carbon can be: Recovered Captured Converted into useful products Stored Avoided through process improvements The project will also examine how these activities can create financial, environmental, or operational value for utilities. Key Research Objectives The project will focus on several interconnected research objectives. Map Carbon Flows Across Water Utility Systems Researchers will develop a clearer understanding of how carbon moves through different water utility processes.

The analysis should consider:

Carbon entering utility systems. Carbon transformed during treatment. Carbon released through process emissions. Carbon contained in residuals. Carbon present in biogas. Carbon recovered or potentially recoverable. Carbon avoided through alternative processes. The research should account for differences between drinking water, stormwater, wastewater, and advanced treatment systems. Identify Carbon Recovery Opportunities The project will identify opportunities for utilities to recover carbon from existing processes.

Potential pathways may include:

Carbon capture Carbon recovery Carbon conversion Carbon storage Emissions avoidance Resource recovery from residuals Biogas-related opportunities The research should help utilities understand which opportunities are most relevant to different system configurations. Evaluate Carbon Value Creation An important component of the project is understanding how carbon management can generate value. Potential value creation pathways include: Saleable products Avoided operational costs Reduced treatment costs Energy-related benefits Environmental attributes Emissions reductions Resource recovery benefits The research will consider not only the technical potential but also the mechanisms required to turn these opportunities into practical outcomes. Carbon Management Across Different Utility Systems Carbon opportunities are not identical for every water utility. The research will therefore evaluate how carbon flows and recovery opportunities vary according to: Utility system type Treatment configuration Local conditions Available infrastructure Resource characteristics Operational practices Market conditions Regulatory considerations The project will focus on common utility scenarios so that the resulting research can provide practical value across a range of water utilities. Implementation and Partnerships Identifying a technically feasible carbon recovery opportunity is only one part of the challenge. The project will also examine the mechanisms and partnerships required to implement carbon-related strategies. The research should help utilities understand what institutional, technical, financial, and partnership arrangements may be necessary to move from carbon opportunity identification to implementation. Greenhouse Gas Accounting and Environmental Claims Carbon recovery and avoidance initiatives can have implications for greenhouse gas accounting and environmental claims. The project will therefore examine how different carbon management pathways may affect: Greenhouse gas inventories Carbon accounting Emissions reporting Environmental claims Resource recovery claims Potential carbon-related benefits This component is important because utilities need credible approaches for determining and communicating the environmental benefits of carbon management activities. Funding Available

Applicants may request up to:

$300,000 in WRF funds The proposed funding should be aligned with the research activities, methodology, deliverables, and anticipated outcomes. Applicants should provide a clear and justified budget showing how WRF funding will be used to accomplish the project’s objectives. Project Duration

The anticipated project duration is:

24 months from the contract start date. Applicants should develop a realistic work plan that accounts for research, data collection, analysis, stakeholder engagement, evaluation, and final reporting. Who Is Eligible? The opportunity is open to both U.S.-based and non-U.S.-based entities.

Eligible applicants may include:

Educational institutions Research organizations Governmental agencies Consultants For-profit organizations Other organizations with appropriate research and technical capabilities International participation is therefore permitted, provided the applicant meets the requirements of the WRF solicitation. Researcher Eligibility Restriction Researchers who are currently late on an ongoing WRF-sponsored study without an approved no-cost extension are not eligible to participate in proposals for this project. Applicants should verify the status of any