Page 6 - Sept/Oct 2015 Vol.33 No.3
P. 6
tdec’s office of sustainable practices By Harold W. Madison & Jan Compton
Utility Districts use State Grants
to Make Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Tennesseans want clean water at to purchase, install, and construct energy 64-square-mile service area along with
inexpensive utility rates. Utilizing Clean projects. Funding for projects was made selling water to neighboring Luttrell-
Tennessee Energy Grant (CTEG) money, available through the 2011 Tennessee Blaine-Corryton Utility Districts and the
three Tennessee utility districts have made Valley Authority Clean Air Act Settle- City of Maynardville.
energy efficiency improvements to main- ment.
tain the rates customers want and provide Like many other utility districts, the
more efficient services. Data from a 2012 Environmental Pro- Northeast Knox Utility District was
tection Agency report makes it clear why operating with an inefficient pumping
“The Clean Tennessee Energy Grant customers benefit from a utility becoming system that was more than 20 years old.
helped make possible higher efficien- more energy efficient. Drinking water and The technology for the VFD pump has
cies with water production at Northeast wastewater systems account for approxi- improved dramatically which is increasing
Knox Utility District, in turn helping the mately three to four percent of energy its popularity. The VFD pump is able to
utility maintain reasonable water rates,” use in the United States, resulting in the adjust to the power and energy needed to
said Houston Daugherty, vice president emissions of more than 45 million tons of meet the demand across the full opera-
of Cannon & Cannon Inc. that worked greenhouse gases, according to the report. tional range of the motor. The Northeast
on the engineering and surveying of the These water services can account for as Knox Utility District received CTEG funds
Northeast Knox Utility District’s up- much as 80 percent of a community’s to help offset the cost of the new pumps
grades. “More water is being treated and energy use. and motors needed to supply the increas-
pumped with larger equipment at lower ing demand for safe drinking water in a
or equal cost when compared to the older Northeast Knox Utility District more efficient and sustainable way.
replaced equipment.”
Founded in 1959, the Northeast Knox As part of the project, three pumps
In addition to Northeast Knox Utility Utility District is located north of the City ranging from 800 to 1,600 gallons per
District, Cumberland Utility District and of Knoxville in Corryton, Tennessee. In minute were replaced with three pumps
Lawrenceburg Utility Systems used CTEG years past, the utility has predominantly at 2,400 gallons per minute. Three exist-
money to make improvements including served a rural population but industrial ing motors at 125 horsepower and 250
installing high efficiency pumps, auto- growth in the region in the 1990s con- horsepower were replaced with three mo-
mated operating equipment, and Variable sequently sparked development. Since tors at 350 horsepower each. The annual
Frequency Drive (VFD) technology. its inception, Northeast Knox Utility savings from these upgrades is 357,744
District has obtained raw water from the kilowatts per hour and more than
The Tennessee Department of Envi- Holston River, just upstream from Legg $25,000 annually.
ronment and Conservation manages the Creek. Currently it provides water service
CTEG program which provides financial to approximately 24,000 customers in a There were additional upgrades initi-
assistance to eligible entities in Tennessee ated by the Northeast Knox Utility Dis-
1 23
1. Northeast Knoxville Utility District purchased and installed new pumps and motors to replace their old dilapidated system, resulting in more than
$25,000 savings annually. 2. Cannon & Cannon Inc. completed the upgrades for the project at NKUD resulting in more water produced with less
energy used. 3. Cumberland Utility District’s Brushy Mountain Water Treatment Plant made energy efficiency upgrades resulting in $127,000 in annual
savings. The high efficiency air scour blower used to backwash the gravity filters ensures optimum water treatment. (Photo credit McGill Associates)
6 TPW September/October 2015
Utility Districts use State Grants
to Make Energy Efficiency Upgrades
Tennesseans want clean water at to purchase, install, and construct energy 64-square-mile service area along with
inexpensive utility rates. Utilizing Clean projects. Funding for projects was made selling water to neighboring Luttrell-
Tennessee Energy Grant (CTEG) money, available through the 2011 Tennessee Blaine-Corryton Utility Districts and the
three Tennessee utility districts have made Valley Authority Clean Air Act Settle- City of Maynardville.
energy efficiency improvements to main- ment.
tain the rates customers want and provide Like many other utility districts, the
more efficient services. Data from a 2012 Environmental Pro- Northeast Knox Utility District was
tection Agency report makes it clear why operating with an inefficient pumping
“The Clean Tennessee Energy Grant customers benefit from a utility becoming system that was more than 20 years old.
helped make possible higher efficien- more energy efficient. Drinking water and The technology for the VFD pump has
cies with water production at Northeast wastewater systems account for approxi- improved dramatically which is increasing
Knox Utility District, in turn helping the mately three to four percent of energy its popularity. The VFD pump is able to
utility maintain reasonable water rates,” use in the United States, resulting in the adjust to the power and energy needed to
said Houston Daugherty, vice president emissions of more than 45 million tons of meet the demand across the full opera-
of Cannon & Cannon Inc. that worked greenhouse gases, according to the report. tional range of the motor. The Northeast
on the engineering and surveying of the These water services can account for as Knox Utility District received CTEG funds
Northeast Knox Utility District’s up- much as 80 percent of a community’s to help offset the cost of the new pumps
grades. “More water is being treated and energy use. and motors needed to supply the increas-
pumped with larger equipment at lower ing demand for safe drinking water in a
or equal cost when compared to the older Northeast Knox Utility District more efficient and sustainable way.
replaced equipment.”
Founded in 1959, the Northeast Knox As part of the project, three pumps
In addition to Northeast Knox Utility Utility District is located north of the City ranging from 800 to 1,600 gallons per
District, Cumberland Utility District and of Knoxville in Corryton, Tennessee. In minute were replaced with three pumps
Lawrenceburg Utility Systems used CTEG years past, the utility has predominantly at 2,400 gallons per minute. Three exist-
money to make improvements including served a rural population but industrial ing motors at 125 horsepower and 250
installing high efficiency pumps, auto- growth in the region in the 1990s con- horsepower were replaced with three mo-
mated operating equipment, and Variable sequently sparked development. Since tors at 350 horsepower each. The annual
Frequency Drive (VFD) technology. its inception, Northeast Knox Utility savings from these upgrades is 357,744
District has obtained raw water from the kilowatts per hour and more than
The Tennessee Department of Envi- Holston River, just upstream from Legg $25,000 annually.
ronment and Conservation manages the Creek. Currently it provides water service
CTEG program which provides financial to approximately 24,000 customers in a There were additional upgrades initi-
assistance to eligible entities in Tennessee ated by the Northeast Knox Utility Dis-
1 23
1. Northeast Knoxville Utility District purchased and installed new pumps and motors to replace their old dilapidated system, resulting in more than
$25,000 savings annually. 2. Cannon & Cannon Inc. completed the upgrades for the project at NKUD resulting in more water produced with less
energy used. 3. Cumberland Utility District’s Brushy Mountain Water Treatment Plant made energy efficiency upgrades resulting in $127,000 in annual
savings. The high efficiency air scour blower used to backwash the gravity filters ensures optimum water treatment. (Photo credit McGill Associates)
6 TPW September/October 2015
