The village of St. Henry, Ohio, was outgrowing its wastewater treatment plant. Bucking the trend among farming communities in the state, the village was growing as industries such as turkey processing expanded.
Despite its good fortune, this community of 2,700, about 40 miles northwest of Dayton, faced fiscal constraints. When village officials learned that a wastewater treatment plant upgrade would cost almost $500,000 and add $49,000 in annual energy costs, they looked for alternatives.
Ultimately, instead of adding energy-intensive aeration equipment, the village saved $100,000 in capital costs by adding solar-powered circulation equipment from SolarBee Inc. to the existing aerated lagoon system.
