The City of Wyoming, Michigan is benefiting from the installation of energy-efficient materials at its wastewater treatment plant. Improvements to the plant’s aeration system are saving the city over 2.1 million kilowatt hours of energy a year, enough electricity annually to power more than 270 typical Michigan homes.

The project met the rigorous Consumers Energy rebate criteria for energy reduction projects and, as a result, the city was recently presented a $106,020.23 check from Consumers Energy. “This project is expected to save the city and our residents $130,000 a year in energy costs. These savings, combined with today’s incentive check, mean a project payback of less than two years. We thank Consumers Energy for working with the city to realize these financial benefits,” Mayor Jack Poll said.

The Wyoming Clean Water Plant, owned and operated by the City of Wyoming, can treat up to 24 million gallons of wastewater per day while serving 140,000 residents and businesses, including Wyoming and several neighboring communities. In 2015, the City undertook a study with Donohue & Associates to identify potential energy-saving opportunities related to the plant’s aeration basins, the single most energy-consumptive treatment unit at the plant.

An improvement identified was the replacement of the existing ceramic aeration diffuser heads with more energy-efficient rubber diffuser membranes. In the fall of 2016, all 15,300 ceramic diffusers were replaced with rubber membrane diffusers at a cost of $225,000. Preliminary performance data taken since that time indicate an overall operational savings of $130,000 per year.

Mike Harvey, Donohue’s Principal and Project Manager, commented, “It’s been exciting to work with the City to improve their operational flexibility while also saving them money and having a beneficial environmental impact. Donohue is currently helping Wyoming with another related project which will enhance the controls of the aeration system and blowers.” 

Pictured above (left to right): Mike Harvey (Donohue's Project Principal), Myron Erickson (City of Wyoming Deputy Director of Public Works), Jack Poll (Mayor of City of Wyoming), Lee Nelson (Consumers Energy), and Allen Bacon (Consumers Energy).