York Water Company

: Article by EI Staff Writer; Profiles

York Water Company

The York Water Company is not new to the public utility business. In fact, the York, Pa.-based company is the oldest investor-owned utility in the country, getting its start nearly 200 years ago.

“York Water Company provides customers with safe, dependable, high-quality water, wastewater and related services that meet or exceed customer expectations at reasonable rates,” the company says.

The utility also strives to sustain an environment that “encourages employees to achieve a high standard of performance while earning a fair return for shareholders,” the company says.

York Water Company serves 48 municipalities within York and Adams counties, which are located about 100 miles west of Philadelphia. The company is regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

: Article by Chris Petersen; Profiles

Stillwater Electric Utility

Stillwater Electric Utility (SEU) is the largest municipal generator and transmission utility in the state of Oklahoma, and the utility has been providing its own electrical generation services since 1903. However, that long history of power generation almost came to an end more than three years ago, if the utility hadn’t adopted a bold and forward-thinking plan to help it provide for its customers well into the future.

For many years, SEU has relied on the Boomer Lake Station to supply the majority of its generation. The 27-megawatt natural gas-fired steam turbine plant was built in the mid-1950s and supplied the entirety of the city’s electrical power until 1967, when the city’s demand exceeded its capacity. The facility was upgraded in the 1990s and was converted into a peaking plant, but by 2012 it became clear that the city would need to begin thinking about other solutions for its power needs. Generation and Transmission Division Manager Loren Smith says the city faced the possibility of shutting down its generation operations along with Boomer Lake Station.

: Article by Alan Dorich; Profiles

Karnalyte Resources Inc.

Not many can say that their projects have the potential to last hundreds of years, but Karnalyte Resources Inc. can. At its site in Wynyard, Saskatchewan, “We have enough there for our great-, great-grandchildren [to mine],” President, Director and Chairman of the Board Robin Phinney says.

Based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, the company specializes in the exploration and development of agricultural and industrial potash and magnesium products. Its flagship project is Wynyard Carnallite, which is estimated to contain 156 million tons of recoverable potash resources, Phinney says.

A longtime veteran of the industry, he explains that the company’s history goes back to 2007, when he discovered the mineral deposits. After researching the history of the land, he formed Karnalyte in 2008, and sought funding from friends and family.

: Article by Jim Harris; Profiles

Graham Construction – Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant upgrade

For the past several years, the city of Calgary has looked to Graham Construction for many of its infrastructure needs. In 2005, the company took a lead role, with a total of eight separate contracts in the $303 million construction of the city’s Pine Creek wastewater plant, which services Calgary’s south end. That project – which was completed in 2010 – led to a number of smaller projects including the replacement of clarifier mechanisms and other components at several of the other city facilities.

“We’ve been successful on the maintenance side for the city,” says Andrew Buchner, a project manager for the construction manager and general contractor.

Graham Construction in December 2014 continued its long-term relationship with the city when it began work on a $93 million upgrade to the Bonnybrook Wastewater Treatment Plant. The facility – the largest of the city’s wastewater treatment plants – serves 800,000 residents and treats about 700 megaliters per day at peak flows.

: Article by EI Staff Writer; Profiles

East Bay Municipal Utility District

For the past 50 years, the East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD) has provided the San Francisco Bay area with a variety of water utility services. The utility continues to provide those services, but its primary focus today is on the drought crisis affecting California.

EBMUD takes the matter very seriously. It declared a stage 4 critical drought earlier this year and set a communitywide goal to reduce water use by 20 percent. To reach the goal, the agency adopted new water rules that affect all customers. “For customers, this means striving for 35 gallons per person per day indoors and following new water use rules,” the company says.