Energy Optimization Upgrade of Water Reclamation Facility
A passion for energy optimization led the city of Norman, Oklahoma to implement a number of successful operational changes—so successful the Environmental Protection Agency recently featured the city in a nationwide webinar. Some of the most effective changes were those made to the city's water reclamation facility.
The Garver-designed project had four components—blowers, boilers, lift stations, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)—all of which resulted in substantial labor and energy savings. Work done to the blowers alone is saving the city roughly $133,000 a year in utility costs, and installing a new radio telemetry system in the city's lift stations has dramatically reduced the required manpower to monitor and respond to lift station issues.
"The city of Norman has benefited greatly from the implementation of the energy reduction project, said Plant Manager Steven D. Hardeman. "Considering the economic climate of today including reduced budgets, higher energy consumption, and higher levels of treatment, we believe our citizens are pleased with the outcome. We're continuously seeking ways to reduce energy, and with the help of Garver, we are confident of our success as we head into the future."
Beyond saving the city money and resources on the back end, Garver also worked with the city to save money on the front end. The project design earned an American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, which contributed $1 million toward the total project cost of $2.3 million.
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