Franklin Water Dept Saves $190,000
Did you know that the city’s waste water treatment plant is the largest consumer of electricity? The city spends approximately $1.1 million annually on electric costs at the plant. Through the Tennessee Water and Wastewater Utilities Partnership, the plant is projected to save $194,000 annually and that should result in a 12 percent reduction in energy usage.
The Partnership is comprised of wastewater plant experts from TVA, MTEMC, TDEC, EPA Region IV, Schneider Electric, and the University of Memphis. There is no cost to the City for participating. Juan Davis and Wayne Davenport, plant superintendant and assistant superintendant, have also been able to attend four day-long energy management workshops to further their knowledge.
We were already doing a couple of things to reduce our energy usage before we became a member of the Partnership,” said Davis. “Now we better understand how it doesn’t even have to be something large such as turning off an aerator that’s not needed; it can be as simple as turning off the lights when you leave a room. Every little bit helps.”
The key is to chip away at the expense while maintaining treatment standards in the process. Changing times for running certain equipment and turning off items when they are not in use has helped some. Replacement to energy efficient lighting is also planned and will not incur cost to the plant. “We weren’t aware of any of these programs until we became a member of the Partnership,” says Assistant Superintendent Wayne Davenport. “This partnership has opened our eyes to many things we can do to not only save money but also become more sustainable.” Franklin is one of seven cities participating in this partnership.
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Picture 2602 (l to r): Assistant Superintendent Wayne Davenport; Director Mark Hilty; TDEC Commissioner Robert Martineau; Franklin Mayor Ken Moore; EPA Region 4 Regional Administrator Gwendolyn Keyes Fleming; Superintendent Juan Davis; Franklin Sustainability Coordinator Andrew Orr.
Photograph (l to r): Assistant Superintendent Wayne Davenport; Superintendent Juan Davis
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