Wausau Water Works
WAUSAU, WI (WSAU) — As Wausau Water Works moves forward with plans for new drinking and wastewater treatment plants on the city’s north side, they’re also looking into how to power those facilities.
Public Works Director Eric Lindman says it’s possible that a seven-acre plot of land near the plants could provide enough solar energy to offset as much as 90% of the plant’s yearly power needs; allowing for more stable water rates for customers and a lowering of the city’s carbon footprint.
“I think most people know both the water and wastewater treatment facility are high users of electricity. Any way we can offset that power will significantly impact all users within the city in a positive way,” said Lindman. “Obviously solar has come a long way in the past 7-10 years as far as technology. Costs have come down a bit, and we do hope to see some additional incentives come down the line here as well.”
Lindman says he’s excited about the project, and customers of the utility should be as well. “Not only is it another source of power for the facility but it also is environmentally friendly and it helps offset the city’s carbon footprint.”
City engineers are still working on details of the array including blueprints and how much power the facility could produce. Lindman says they are working on three scenarios including enough panels to supply 40%, 60%, and up to 90%. The final number will be based on the size of the land and other factors such as the amount of regular sunlight the area can capture.
The final cost for the project won’t be known until all of that information has been finalized. Right now Lindman estimates that will be between $2 and $2.5 million, with the high-end number representing more solar panels and sunlight tracking elements that will automatically adjust the array as the sun moves across the sky. “It’s an additional cost upfront, but we think over time that will easily be offset by the amount of power we will be able to generate.”
Lindman says the Water Works Commission will hear more information at their April meeting. That includes more details on things like payback times, which he says right now could be in the neighborhood of 15 years, with the array itself lasting well beyond 20 years.
The array would be located along Bugbee Avenue. Lindman expects the purchase of the land to close later this spring, with construction coming in 2022.
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