Tennessee Plant Optimization Program (TNPOP)

Welcome to the Tennessee Plant Optimization Program (TN POP) website!

TN POP is a free program operated by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), Division of Water Resources (DWR).

The program provides resources to support water and wastewater operators in achieving optimization in energy use and nutrient removal for their facilities through low-and-no-cost measures.

Program Information & Requirements

If your facility applies and qualifies as a member of the TNPOP, it will benefit from:

  • Technical assistance and loaned equipment for pursuing facility optimization (TN POP Equipment);
  • Significant cost-savings opportunities, which can be leveraged to support additional personnel, capital improvements and infrastructure needs through SRF loans, avoidance of rate increases, avoidance of capital improvements and outlay;
  • Reduced nutrients in effluent, which supports avoiding the need for implementation of nutrient limits in permits; and
  • Flexible and informed regulatory oversight from TDEC’s Division of Water Resources.

Join with your peers, TDEC’s Division of Water Resources, and the Office of Sustainable Practices to pursue optimization of energy usage and nutrient output in your water and wastewater treatment facilities.

Interested facilities should contact Jordan Fey / 615-306-3494 for more information on how to apply and join TN POP. 

Professional Training Materials

Here you will find recorded webinars and power point presentations on topics related to plant and system optimization, including general introductions to energy efficiency, nutrient optimization, and non-revenue water as well as more in-depth courses. Each educational module includes a description and recommended related courses.

Case Studies

Here you will find case studies from Tennessee water and wastewater treatment plants and systems that participated in the Energy Efficiency Partnership and/or the Nutrient Optimization Program through TDEC and provides a baseline for the kinds of results that your system could achieve by utilizing the lessons in Tn POP.

Technical Assistance and Peer Support

Here you will find information about Tn POP partners, such as TAUD, MTAS, TT-IAC, and EPA, who can provide technical assistance in implementing optimization efforts as well as a listserv and opportunities for peer-to-peer assistance.

Funding Resources

Here you will find information about potential funding resources to support water and wastewater treatment plant optimization projects that have an associated cost.

Additional Resources

Here you will find supporting resources such as checklists of low-to-no-cost measures for achieving plant optimization, best practices, audit checklists, and planning resources.