April 25, 2016

The Wastewater Division of Public Works has been working hard to make our wastewater treatment facilities more efficient and effective, as we noted in our last article SCADA & UV Upgrade.

Wastewater was challenged by our Mayor Bill Gillespie to find ways to be more energy efficient. With that in mind, Wastewater has been changing out the stadium lighting, converting it to LED lighting. Conversion at the Pine Creek facility was completed in September and October. Conversion at the Autauga Creek facility was completed in late January.

We waited to talk about the project until we had some data for comparison purposes. The LED lighting is approximately 25% more efficient on power consumption. We have already seen cost savings on repairs and maintenance. In the past, it seemed like crews were always replacing bulbs and ballast (electrical blocks). LEDs don't have ballast and the lights last longer, therefore, general maintenance costs are reduced.

We appreciate the continued creative thinking and hard work exhibited by these employees as the City continues to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars.