HOLLAND, MI (WHTC-AM/FM) – Some help from Lansing is on its way to the Tulip City, albeit indirectly.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy announced on Thursday that the city of Grand Rapids and Holland BPW will be aided, through the use of artificial intelligence technology, in improving water delivery efficiency. The agency didn’t disclose how much money that Michigan-based Aquasight received in a grant to help the two municipal utilities in optimizing high-service pumping, but according to BPW Water Treatment Plant Superintendent Jim Van De Wege, annual energy savings will bring about 61 thousand dollars in economic benefits, which could then be reinvested for up to 800 thousand in capital improvements.
“It’s a three-year grant,” he said in an interview on “WHTC Morning News” on Thursday. “It takes care of the initial setup of the program and two years to cover other costs. We’re giving our operators another tool to try and optimize our high-service pumping.”
