Energy savings on board's mind

Chatham officials hear firm's pitch

PITTSBORO -- Chatham County could make saving energy pay for itself, an engineering company told the county this week.

Representatives from Milwaukee-based Johnson Controls told the Board of Commissioners on Monday about "guaranteed energy-savings contracts."

Under such contracts, a company guarantees the county a certain amount of energy savings. The county pays for retrofitting or upgrades over time with the money saved and keeps any savings beyond the guaranteed amount. The contractor pays for any shortfall.

One possible energy-savings measure the contractors mentioned was automatic water meter reading, which could save worker hours and reduce gas consumption in their vehicles.

The commissioners said they'd like to move forward, and Johnson Controls will offer the county a free report. If they decide to proceed, the commissioners would then issue a request for proposals.

The board also heard from local businessman Hal House, president of Integrated Water Strategies, a company that specializes in wastewater treatment and reuse with plant-based systems.

House envisions a system in which wastewater is treated at subdivisions or businesses, then recycled and used for nonpotable purposes such as irrigation or flushing toilets. Any excess would be sent back to the county, which could even sell it again, he said.

"Some of my students call wastewater 'pre-owned' water," House said. "It has a value."

"We spend a lot of money making [drinkable] water clean ... and then we tend to throw it away," House later added.

The town of Cary uses highly treated wastewater for outdoor irrigation, and UNC-Chapel Hill will begin using reclaimed water for such things as flushing toilets and cooling this year.

The current drought has people thinking differently about how water is used, said Commissioner Tom Vanderbeck.

One potential starting point would be treating wastewater from a county school with a man-made wetland.

"If you can start one and show how it works, it's easier to sell the second time," said Commissioner Patrick Barnes.

Other commissioners said they'd be interested in exploring a feasibility study, but the board took no formal action.