The BPU takes great pride in both its electric and water system. For this reason, the utility is continually reinvesting in its infrastructure and working on projects to ensure both systems remain safe and reliable. We want to take a moment to highlight the utility’s accomplishments/investments in 2024:
-South Well Field: BPU personnel played a significant role in completing the well houses and water treatment plant, including control wiring, fabrication, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing work. This massive project also included:
– The development and installation of three production wells.
– The installation of eighteen miles of 20-inch waterline from the South Well Field to McPherson.
– The design, construction, and installation of a 4.0 MGD Water Treatment Plant to remove iron and manganese from the South Well Field water supply. The BPU hosted employees, retirees, and local, state, and national dignitaries at the ribbon-cutting ceremony and commissioning.
Other 2024 investments included:
– The construction of a new truck storage shed, measuring 40 ft. x 100 ft. to shelter bucket trucks and line trucks, promoting asset longevity.
– Engineering of a 115 kV Transmission Line upgrade was completed, which included pole replacement and conductor upgrades
– Completed combustion inspection on Gas Turbine No. 1
-Completed electric circuit from Mohawk substation to 17th & Northview, totaling 2.5 miles of line and approximately 70 new poles.
-Built out 2 miles of rural electric line for new customers, complete with 50 poles
-Replaced 30 storm-damaged poles
-Moved 2 miles of rural electric line at the request of McPherson County
-Replaced 1,800′ Copper primary on W. Marlin
-Completed underground electric buildout for phase 1 of Deerfield South Estates Development, which included laying or installing 3,000′ of pipe and wire (to prepare for “phase 2”, 13 transformers, and two primary tees).
-Completed electric infrastructure buildout to tie into existing infrastructure at Veranda West to support six new lots for homes. The project included installing 250′ pipe, 500′ of new primary wire, and two new pad mount transformers.
– Completed Overhead to underground conversion projects includes Sonora and Oaklane and phase 1 of North High and Sonora. These conversion projects, in total, include converting 53 homes from overhead primary to new underground primary, installing 2,050′ of primary wire and pipe, 1,450′ of secondary wire and pipe, and 11 pad mount transformers.
-System redundancy improvement project at the North Ranch Loop. Crews installed 550′ of pipe and wire as well as a primary tee to tie the existing radial feed to a different feed, achieving the goal of system redundancy.
These achievements reflect our ongoing commitment to improving infrastructure and service reliability for our customers.