Covington Water District (CWD) serves 50,000 customers in King County, WA. To boost energy efficiency, resiliency and grid independence, CWD is partnering with McKinstry on a new microgrid that improves reliability, lowers costs and supports sustainability—all without raising rates or operating expenses.
The microgrid marks Phase 2 of McKinstry’s ongoing energy work with CWD. In Phase 1, completed in 2018, the district installed an electric-generating hydro turbine by leveraging existing infrastructure. As customer demand grew, CWD needed to connect a high-pressure main from Tacoma Water to a new lower-pressure supply line. Typically, this would require a pressure reducing valve (PRV) station to prevent over-pressurization—an approach that dissipates energy as heat and noise. Instead, CWD captured that energy by installing a turbine in place of the PRV. The turbine reduces water pressure while generating electricity, offsetting more than 100% of the campus’ electrical load, cutting CO₂ emissions by 400,000 pounds annually and saving nearly $110,000 to date. It will also help power future electric vehicles.
Covington Water District Microgrid - McKinstry https://www.mckinstry.com/insights/covington-water-district-microgrid/