(Kansas City, Mo.) – On the job, lighting is the key to safety. But, lighting can also be expensive. KC Water’s Blue River Wastewater Treatment Plant found a way to address both.
The Wastewater Treatment Division processes solids removed from the municipal waste stream and belt filter presses help prepare those bio-solids for incineration.
Some of the lights in the belt filter press area had stopped working. A number of them remained out of service because access to the fixtures was blocked by equipment, walkways, columns, and beams. Workers had to bring in sophisticated equipment just to change a bulb. In addition, the bulbs were the old, high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps which were costly in terms of operation and maintenance. They also presented disposal issues due the materials in the lamps.
Wastewater Electrical Maintenance determined new lighting was required to improve the dark and potentially unsafe conditions.
KC Water contracted with Mark One Electric Company and LED2 to install new LED lighting in the belt filter press area. Also, the fluorescent bulbs in the administration building were replaced with new LED bulbs.
The cost of the improvements was $128,000. However, the estimated annual savings in energy is 144,000 kwh or approximately $11,500. As an added bonus, KC Water qualified for and received a rebate check in the amount of $64,000, which means the project will pay for itself in five and a half years.
Due to the success of the belt filter press project, the Wastewater Treatment Division anticipates more savings by taking a closer look at its energy needs and costs.
Former conditions
New Lighting
Electrical Supervisor John DeSchepper accepts the $64,000 rebate check from KCP&L’s Michael Jackson
For more information, please contact Brooke Givens, Media Relations Coordinator, at brooke.givens@kcmo.org or 816.513.0284.
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KC Water maintains and operates water treatment and distribution systems, stormwater management systems, and wastewater collection and treatment systems for residential and business customers in Kansas City and for wholesale customers in the Kansas City area. KC Water is primarily funded by fees charged to customers based on their use or impacts on the three utility systems.
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