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Member fee: $25.00
Non-Member fee: $35.00

1.2 contact hours towards CWEA's  Electrical / Instrumentation Technician, and Mechanical Technologist certifications

To improve energy efficiency and reduce operational costs, the Las Virgenes – Triunfo Joint Power Authority (JPA) with PACE Advanced Water Engineering serving as the engineering consultant, led a process air improvement project at the 12 MGD Tapia Water Reclamation Facility (WRF). The improvements included adding over 60 retrievable, fine bubble aeration grids, three 400HP magnetic-bearing turbine blowers, converting 4160 medium voltage electrical gear down to 480V, and SCADA/controls integration to optimize process controls. These improvements reduced energy consumption by almost 40%. Additionally, the JPA used a specialized equipment procurement process known as Performance-Based Specifications during the design phase yielding a capital cost savings of 30%. As a result, the community benefits from a reasonable capital expense outlay with a return on investment of less than six years, with an estimated $2.5M savings over the new system’s 20-year expected life.