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August 04, 2009, 09:18 AM ET
Oklahoma State U. Upgrades Its Water System, With an Eye on Saving Money
Oklahoma State University has elaborate plans for a fairly ordinary substance—water.
 A crane positions the top portion of a new, 135-foot-tall water tank at Oklahoma State U. (Oklahoma State U. photo) |
An infrastructure upgrade due to be completed within two years will let the university rely on untreated or partially treated water for some uses that don't require drinking-quality water, such as irrigation and running chillers in the campus air-conditioning network. The upgrade has already brought in a new, 500,000-gallon water tank, which will work in conjunction with a new water plant expected to be finished early next year.
Oklahoma State could save as much as $6-million in four to five years by running its own water system instead of purchasing water from the City of Stillwater, according to the Stillwater News-Press. The city will also benefit from reduced demand on the municipal water plant, the newspaper says.
And by using what the paper calls "raw" water for irrigation, the university will lessen wear and tear on its new plant. Water for use in chiller units will be partially treated to meet the maintenance needs of the air-conditioning network.
Not surprisingly, the project is fairly complex. Nigel Jones, the university architect, told the News-Press: "The problem is everywhere there are utilities—gas and water pipes are underground. We have to thread our way underground while keeping pedestrian walkways and streets open to limit the impact on campus while we are doing this."
The university's new system will be capable of serving as a backup to the municipal system in case of emergency, university officials say. Stillwater officials have worried for years that the city had only one source of water, Kaw Lake, but the university system will draw water from a different source, Lake Carl Blackwell. Once the campus system is operational, the city will shut down its pipeline from Lake Kaw long enough for a thorough inspection and, if necessary, repairs.
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