Residents of South Lyon can feel a bit safer knowing that preparations have been made to protect their wastewater treatment plant’s power supply in case of emergencies. The local city council has made moves to improve the reliability of services by approving the purchase of a backup generator for the plant.
During a recent city council meeting, the request to buy and install a brand new 750 kilowatt standby generator was pushed forward by Ronald Beason, who manages the South Lyon Water and Sewer Department. Luckily funding already existed for this purchase in the 2024/2025 financial year.
The new generator is already in the works and a consulting engineering company, Hubbell, Roth and Clark Inc., has been guiding the process by providing specific installation instructions. To find the best deal, the installation job was put up for a bid, receiving offers that ranged from $193,010.00 to a whopping $499,536.00. After careful consideration, the win went to a company called O’Donnell Electric hailing from Whitmore Lake, as they gave the most agreeable bid of $193,010.00.
Commenting on the stark contrast in bid prices, Beason noted that a variety of elements could play a factor, such as the use of various subcontractors contributing to the work. This would be O’Donnell Electric’s first time working with the city, however, Hubbell, Roth and Clark Inc., vouched for their previous successful work on similar projects.
The wastewater treatment plant isn’t a stranger to these types of generators and fuel tanks, but the new setup is expected to majorly enhance the transfer rate of fuel and ensure better environment safety. With its double-walled design, the new tank provides a more secure, leakage-free storage for the fuel – specifically 1,600 gallons of diesel. This amount is estimated to provide 24 hours of power for the plant, buying the plant time to refuel in cases of power outages.
The overall preference for diesel as the choice of fuel is due to the size of the generator. According to Beason, larger generators tend to lose some efficiency and their service technicians have advised them to opt for diesel, which also has a longer lifespan.
The new generator system will be an independent unit, separate from the workings of the wastewater treatment plant. The new generator is expected to be done building by October 10, with the delivery scheduled to be about 10 to 14 days after completion.
Author: STAFF HERE NORTHVILLE WRITER
The NORTHVILLE STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERENorthville.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Northville, Wayne County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the Summer Concert Series, Tunes on Tuesday, and the Northville Farmers Market. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Northville Chamber of Commerce and Northville Community Foundation, plus leading businesses in automotive, software, and retail that power the local economy such as Gentherm, Reliable Software, and Attendance on Demand. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREDetroitMI.com, HEREGrandRapids.com, HERENovi.com, and HEREPlymouth.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into Michigan's dynamic landscape.
