Solar Water Mixers to Be Installed in 16th Street Tanks

By The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.

Jul. 19–In a project expected to improve the quality of water flowing through its 16th Street tanks, the city of Yuma will begin installing energy-efficient solar-powered mixing units in the tanks Monday.

The project represents a significant cost savings over traditional retrofitting of water tanks, said Kathy Carroll, water treatment manager for the city. “We’ve researched this and it’s a better alternative than a major construction project. During the installation, users should see no difference at all.”

The Solar Bee system not only runs on power it generates through photovoltaic cells but is also cheaper to install than a new system of inlet and outlet pipes, which would have involved draining and recoating the interior of the tanks, Carroll explained.

Installing the solar mixers and fixing the hatch should take about five weeks, which is much faster than the pipe retrofitting process would have been.

Water inside the tanks, located at the southwest corner of the 16th Street interchange with Interstate 8, tends to form layers on its own. Inlet and outlet pipes are located on the same linear plane, and some fresh water “short-circuits the system,” Carroll said. The solar mixers will keep the water inside fresher.

Carroll expects water quality delivered to customers will improve as a result of completed installation. “Water won’t sit in the tanks as long and it will keep circulating constantly.”

Energy efficiency is a benefit, with the solar-powered mixers operating day and night. “The energy savings from each unit is the equivalent to about 220,000 kw hours per year, or the annual energy requirements for about 20 homes or 25 passenger cars, thereby reducing equivalent carbon dioxide emissions (the leading Greenhouse Gas, GHG) by about 150 tons per year,” states information on Solar Bee’s Web site.

Though the tanks won’t have to be completely drained for the project, the public should be cautious with water usage during the five-week installation process.

“This would be a good time for residents to practice some voluntary conservation measures,” said Carroll, “such as washing only a full load of clothes, not leaving the water running while brushing your teeth and using a bucket if you’re washing your car instead of leaving the hose running all the time.”

Residents and businesses who notice a change in water system performance that constitutes an emergency may call 373-4500 to report the problem.

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Copyright (c) 2008, The Sun, Yuma, Ariz.

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