News
A wastewater treatment plant is a town operation that consumes more energy than just about any other single governmental department, but in Silverthorne, that energy consumption is being addressed — constantly.
One way Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant superintendent Mike Bittner reduces the energy bill is through automation. In his pristine building at the north end of Silverthorne, where wastewater from Silverthorne and Dillon flows in, gets treated and is emitted back into the Blue River, he seeks to optimize the operation, which is tasked with cleaning up roughly 1.5 to 2 million gallons of wastewater daily.
It's not a sexy story at the plant. It's sludge. It's bacteria. It's mixers and aerators and noise. But the products — the clean water and the chance for science geeks to apply their knowledge creatively — are special.
Bittner realized awhile back that he could capture the heat generated from the bacteria waste stream and use it to heat some buildings. Those bugs are also an ideal compost enhancer for Climax Mine's reclamation efforts, he said.
Bittner isn't one to say his work is special, which is a testament to the man's daily job of taking grimy input and creating a clean output — all while saving money and running and efficient operation for the folks paying to use the sewer system.
“It's always a work in progress,” he said, explaining that he doesn't remember a specific time when he began looking at energy savings; that he's been on the lookout for energy rebates, incentives and cost-effective measures to streamline the process for more than two decades.
Recently, though, he and his staff automated the treatment aeration processes, with the “best payback on investment” so far, town spokesman Ryan Hyland said. Oxygen sensors monitor the amount of air flowing into tanks holding bacteria, which the bugs use to break down the waste components.
“Think of it as cruise control for a car; you always get better gas mileage when your car automatically controls the speed,” Hyland wrote in the town newsletter. “Similar automated control loops are in place for pumping and process control systems throughout the facility.”
The system also allows Bittner to track energy usage to better manage it.
“Now, we've got pretty tight control,” Bittner said, adding that this is lower-hanging fruit in the energy reduction process. He's always looking for ways to address the bigger projects.
Hyland said energy efficiency projects can reduce costs by 25 percent or more at the facility. In most municipalities, water and wastewater treatment can account for 25-30 percent of the total energy bill.
One way Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant superintendent Mike Bittner reduces the energy bill is through automation. In his pristine building at the north end of Silverthorne, where wastewater from Silverthorne and Dillon flows in, gets treated and is emitted back into the Blue River, he seeks to optimize the operation, which is tasked with cleaning up roughly 1.5 to 2 million gallons of wastewater daily.
It's not a sexy story at the plant. It's sludge. It's bacteria. It's mixers and aerators and noise. But the products — the clean water and the chance for science geeks to apply their knowledge creatively — are special.
Bittner realized awhile back that he could capture the heat generated from the bacteria waste stream and use it to heat some buildings. Those bugs are also an ideal compost enhancer for Climax Mine's reclamation efforts, he said.
Bittner isn't one to say his work is special, which is a testament to the man's daily job of taking grimy input and creating a clean output — all while saving money and running and efficient operation for the folks paying to use the sewer system.
“It's always a work in progress,” he said, explaining that he doesn't remember a specific time when he began looking at energy savings; that he's been on the lookout for energy rebates, incentives and cost-effective measures to streamline the process for more than two decades.
Recently, though, he and his staff automated the treatment aeration processes, with the “best payback on investment” so far, town spokesman Ryan Hyland said. Oxygen sensors monitor the amount of air flowing into tanks holding bacteria, which the bugs use to break down the waste components.
“Think of it as cruise control for a car; you always get better gas mileage when your car automatically controls the speed,” Hyland wrote in the town newsletter. “Similar automated control loops are in place for pumping and process control systems throughout the facility.”
The system also allows Bittner to track energy usage to better manage it.
“Now, we've got pretty tight control,” Bittner said, adding that this is lower-hanging fruit in the energy reduction process. He's always looking for ways to address the bigger projects.
Hyland said energy efficiency projects can reduce costs by 25 percent or more at the facility. In most municipalities, water and wastewater treatment can account for 25-30 percent of the total energy bill.
Going further
Bittner and other town staff are also working with Xcel to find other ways to improve energy efficiency. At a cost of $28,000, the utility company conducted an energy efficiency engineering study of the sewer facilities to identify other opportunities for energy savings. Xcel Energy offers a $21,000 rebate for conducting the study, which identified $195,000 in equipment upgrades that could save the plant roughly $15,000 annually, when complete. The upgrades are also available for a $45,000 rebate. “The application for preapproval of the project has been submitted to Xcel and is under review. After the preapproval process, the upgrades will be made as the budget allows,” Hyland said in the newsletter.
As a self-sustaining enterprise fund, the sewer facility's entire budget is based on user fees.
Bittner also took advantage of Xcel Energy's cash rebates to purchase and install variable frequency drives that evens out energy demand in peak and nonpeak periods. If the system operates on lower energy demands — rather than slamming it on full-force — it saves several cents per kilowatt over time. The equipment cost $40,000, but Xcel Energy is providing a $16,000 rebate.
Silverthorne has also submitted a letter of interest for 100 kilowatts of solar production on behalf of the joint sewer authority, if the proposed 2 megawatt Summit County Solar Garden is constructed. The 100 kW will produce about 140,000 kilowatt-hours per year and will cost $300,000 to $350,000 in upfront costs. It will supply about 5 percent of the total annual usage at the treatment facility.
