Electricity can account for up to 40% of a wastewater treatment plant’s operating budget and a significant share of a municipality’s total energy bill.
Accordingly, many cities are focusing on saving energy and improving environmental performance. In Grandview, Washington, treatment plant superintendent Dave Lorenz and his crew did exactly that. Their efforts recently culminated in the form of a check for $146,964 from the local power company’s energy-saving incentive program.The check was based on annual savings of some 620,000 kWh, enough to power about 55 homes. The energy savings came from adding mixers to the city’s lagoon treatment system instead of
