Sometimes a tool can be used for more than one purpose. The rehabilitation of TMWA’s Orr Ditch Booster Pump Station is an example. The project improved a critical backup system for water delivery to Chalk Bluff Water Treatment Plant and also incorporated a new hydroelectric facility in the process using existing infrastructure. The result of this project not only safeguards water supply but also produces renewable energy. When this electricity is produced, it can be delivered directly to Chalk Bluff. If not needed at the plant, the power can be wheeled back into the municipal power grid, reducing TMWA’s energy bill. “This was a huge cross-functional collaboration,” explains Jason Barnes, TMWA’s Facilities and Generation Manager. “Nearly all departments played a role in making sure both the booster station and hydroelectric facility could operate productively.”

The project was approved by the Board of Directors in February 2020. The multimillion-dollar effort was funded primarily through TMWA’s ratepayer-supported capital program and from a settlement related to the former Farad Hydroelectric facility. “The return on investment for the hydro component is around ten years,” said Barnes. “After that, it’s pure benefit – renewable power that offsets costs for our customers.”

The Orr Ditch Hydroelectric Facility is expected to be fully operational by fall 2026, following major scheduled maintenance at Chalk Bluff this winter.