West U Receives Funding For New Power Generator

West U recently received grant funds to replace an auxiliary power generator at their waste water treatment plant.
After a generator failed at the treatment plant because of Hurricane Ike, West U has been in need of funding for a new generator.
The U.S. Congress appropriated funds to assist states in presidential declared disaster areas in 2008. Texas was given $1.3 billion in community development block grant disaster funding and $814 million was allocated to the Houston Galveston Area Council (HGAC). It was recommended that HGAC allocate $140 million to Harris County and its small cities, excluding Houston.
Harris County has given smaller cities, like West University Place, an opportunity to work with the Texas Department of Rural Affairs for the administration of grant funds.
West U received $229,980 in grant funds for the engineering, replacement and installation of a new auxiliary power generator at the treatment plant. The generator will provide power to energize the treatment plant at optimum efficiency so the treatment process can continue during power outages.
Mayor Bob Kelly issued this statement to InstantNewsWestU:
“Our city staff, lead by City Manager Mike Ross, have done an outstanding job in getting our city almost $230,000 in federal funding to replace our auxiliary power generator at the Waste Water Treatment facility with one that has twice the capability than the one that broke as a result of hurricane IKE.
“This is yet another example of how efficient our city is managed. With the addition of this generator, the city has added significant back-up power to run City facilities during power outages.”
The grant funds do not provide 100 percent funding for the power generator, but it allows the city to get the project moving faster than if they used money from the capital improvement program.
Additional funding will come from the Water/Wastewater Utilities Capital Reserve Fund and potential cost savings in the Water/Wastewater Operating Fund, Assistant City Manager and Public Works Director Chris Peifer said.
“The installation of this generator at the wastewater treatment plant will be the final component of our comprehensive emergency standby power generator improvements,” said City Manager Michael Ross.
Upon completion the city will have emergency standby power at the following: Emergency Operations Center (City Hall, Police & Fire), Water Distribution system (drinking water), Wastewater Treatment system (this proposed new one), Public Works administration and operations and the Recreation Center (food and housing for emergency personnel and families during long-term power outages).
The generator project is currently in the approval and design and should be complete in the next nine to 12 months, Peifer said.