New program saves Lake in the Hills Sanitary District about $30,000 in energy so far

The wastewater treatment plant operated by the Lake in the Hills Sanitary District has saved about $30,000 so far in energy, the result of participating in an energy management program offered by ComEd.

The district’s wastewater treatment plant has undertaken an energy management program through ComEd’s two-year Strategic Energy Management Cohort, according to a news release. As part of the cohort, the plant is participating in energy audits and energy saving presentations.

Between January and August, the district saved 384,517 kWh of electricity, an amount of energy that typically costs about $30,000, and prevented 36,106 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, according to the release. The district also received incentive checks from ComEd totaling $3,613.

“The District is committed to the responsible stewardship of taxpayer resources,” it said in a statement. “As such, the District has participated in SEM to implement an energy management program to reduce energy usage by operating more efficiently, upgrading technology, and achieving savings. The District pursued efficiency opportunities through improved equipment and process and systems optimization.”

The team leading this effort is led by District Manager Tamara Mueller, Assistant District Manager Mike Nelson and Maintenance Supervisor John Caccamo, according to the release. Staff from all departments also participated in some capacity.

In addition, communication upgrades to technology have resulted in substantial utility savings and real-time monitoring of the collection system and wastewater treatment plant, according to the release. Monthly service charges from AT&T for leased lines that cost $13,013 now cost $445 with Verizon and Metropolitan Industries.