Mokelumne Hill Sanitary District Receives Grant

Mar 20, 2021 by editor

On March 12, 2021, the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, (CalOES), notified the Mokelumne Hill Sanitary District of a grant award in the amount of $63,800 to purchase a new emergency generator.  In October, 2020, MHSD applied for the grant through the Community Power Resiliency program. MHSD does not have a reliable emergency power source to operate critical infrastructure during a power outage.   In September 2015, MHSD’s treatment plant was without power for nine days due to the Butte Fire.  Two days into the power outage, with no power restoration in site, MHSD rented and then purchased (using funds from the operating reserve) a used, 25 year old,  62 KVA, 50 KW generator to provide power to the aerators to facilitate biological aerobic treatment. The existing generator has served the district numerous times since 2015 during planned (PSPS) and unplanned outages.  However, the district has had to perform various “emergency” adjustments to operate the generator.  The generator is past its life expectancy, is unreliable and needs to be replaced.

Purchase and installation of the new, energy efficient generator will enhance the district’s resiliency by increasing capacity to effectively and immediately respond to future power outages, thereby protecting the health and safety of the community.

For additional information, contact Phil McCartney, President, MHSD at mhsanitarydistrict@outlook.com