ERIE, PA, June 4, 2007 -- Erie Water Works will unveil a new 4,600 square foot back-up power generation facility at the Sommerheim Water Treatment Plant on June 6, 2007. The facility houses two 2,000 kilowatt diesel powered electrical generators.
The generators will enable continuous operation of the Water Treatment Plant should a power outage occur. The facility reflects the architectural character of the existing Sommerheim facility, emphasizing the campus atmosphere. The project investment is approximately $1.2 million.
"With the new back-up facility, the people of Erie have peace of mind that their water supply remains in operation should there be a natural disaster, disruption of the power grid, or a failure of the utility power system," said Paul Vojtek, CEO of Erie Water Works. "This new facility continues our investment of more than $100 million in the Erie Water Works system since the inception of the authority in 1992." These improvements by the Water Works have resulted in an excess capacity of more than 40 million gallons of water per day.
The new back-up power generation facility includes two 150 gallon diesel storage day tanks and one 25,000 gallon bulk diesel storage tank. The bulk diesel tank can continuously operate the Water Treatment Plant for 72 hours. Each generator consumes 144 gallons of fuel per hour at full load. Features of the new generators include:
• 10 second transfer between utility and generator power when power loss occurs
• Power capacity to operate the Water Treatment Plant at a rate of 30 mgd
• Ability to strategically operate the generator during times that it would be beneficial to the power grid in coordination with Penelec (Erie Water Works will receive a electric bill discount)
The Erie Water Works assumed operations of the Erie Water Systems in 1992. The Water Works Board is an independent organization whose goal is to rehabilitate the water system for the Erie region while providing service at an affordable cost. Working together to make a difference, Water Works employees stand by the community they work for and stand by our mission statement, "To guarantee a continuous, uninterrupted, reasonably priced supply of quality water to its customers that assures public health while promoting stability and future development."
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