New backup generator coming this fall to Grosse Pointe Farms water plant

GROSSE POINTE FARMS — When it comes to providing clean drinking water for residents and businesses in Grosse Pointe Farms and Grosse Pointe City, Farms officials are taking no chances with regard to keeping their water treatment plant operational.

The Farms City Council unanimously approved a low bid from Bruce Township-based Rauhorn Electric Inc. of $320,826.45 for installation of a new 550-kilowatt natural gas generator at the plant at a meeting July 8.

The generator itself will cost about $250,000, plus a 10% contingency, City Councilman Neil Sroka said. City Manager Shane Reeside explained to the council that they were voting July 8 on installation, which also includes a 10% contingency and a $35,000 allowance for DTE Energy to provide elevated gas pressure service required to operate this generator.

Reeside said this will replace the existing backup generator, which dates back to the 1940s.

The new backup generator “is also a slightly higher capacity,” Reeside said.

He said a backup generator was used before to provide power to the plant when the city lost electricity for several days during a major outage, enabling the Farms to continue to supply residents with water.

“If we lose the dual feed, we can rely on the backup generator,” Reeside said.

One Farms resident asked if there was anything allocated in the project’s budget to address noise, aesthetics and pollution from the new generator. Reeside said all those things had been considered.

City Councilman Lev Wood said “over $30,000 of this (project) cost” had been allocated toward landscaping, with many new plants to be placed around the generator. Reeside said the hill on the property will also minimize the appearance and visibility of the generator.

“It’ll also mitigate the noise,” City Councilwoman Beth Konrad Wilberding said of the landscaping.

Reeside said that the landscaping will include arbor vitae.

“The nice thing about the new generators is that they’re encapsulated to reduce noise,” Reeside said.

Officials said the generator is slated to arrive in October.