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    Mission Critical: Enchanted Rock gas-fired Microgrid to ensure drinking water delivery in Houston region

    April 6, 2022
    West Harris County Regional Water Authority has selected Enchanted Rock to fortify power for two water pump stations serving the entity’s 127 water districts. The stations will also provide water to the North Ford Bend Water Authority
    Image credit Enchanted Rock
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    Texas-based microgrid provider Enchanted Rock has been contracted by a Houston area county to deliver gas-fired resiliency for drinking water pump systems.

    West Harris County Regional Water Authority has selected Enchanted Rock to fortify power for two water pump stations serving the entity’s 127 water districts. The stations will also provide water to the North Ford Bend Water Authority.

    Enchanted Rock will provide nearly 20 MW of gas-fired microgrid support for the Central and Repump Stations. The company also will operate and maintain the microgrids under a long-term agreement.

    The systems produce more than 300 million gallons of treated water in the county every day, according to reports.

    The release about the agreement noted that the natural gas-powered system will be multiple times cleaner emissions-wise than alternatives powered by diesel generators.

    “We are honored that the West Harris County Regional Water Authority selected Enchanted Rock for these important projects, which marks a continued expansion supporting essential utilities,” said Allan Schurr, Chief Commercial Officer of Enchanted Rock. “This partnership will help ensure safe drinking water for residents and businesses across Harris County during outages, which occur frequently in this storm-prone region.”  

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    Enchanted Rock has delivered microgrid solutions for numerous water utilities in the regions. Many of these projects came about during outages due to events such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017.

    Water facilities nationwide have contracted the company to provide more than 135 MW of capacity either commissioned or under construction.

    “Given Enchanted Rock’s national expertise and track record serving water utilities, we are pleased to partner with this industry-leading resiliency company,” said Eric Hansen, WHCRWA Board President. “Enchanted Rock will provide  WHCRWA with the most affordable solution that meets our sustainability goals without sacrificing reliability and  continuity of water services for our residents and area businesses in the event of an outage.”  

    Enchanted Rock will also provide critical support for the City of Houston Northeast Water Purification Plant Expansion facility. The previously announced project is expected to be completed in 2024, and will provide electrical backup for  50% of the required finished water production capacity.  

    Lake Houston and bodies of water leading to it supply much of the drinking water for Houston and the outlying communities. Much of that can be impacted by rainfall and stormwater drainage systems.

    Harris County has more than four million residents. Houston is considered the fifth most populous metropolitan region in the U.S.

    Houston-based Enchanted Rock has supplied generator-based microgrid systems all over the U.S., including the Bronzeville Microgrid Cluster in the Chicago area. 

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    (Rod Walton, senior editor for EnergyTech, is a 14-year veteran of covering the energy industry both as a newspaper and trade journalist. He can be reached at [email protected]).

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    About the Author

    Rod Walton, EnergyTech Managing Editor | Senior Editor

    For EnergyTech editorial inquiries, please contact Managing Editor Rod Walton at [email protected].

    Rod Walton has spent 15 years covering the energy industry as a newspaper and trade journalist. He formerly was energy writer and business editor at the Tulsa World. Later, he spent six years covering the electricity power sector for Pennwell and Clarion Events. He joined Endeavor and EnergyTech in November 2021.

    Walton earned his Bachelors degree in journalism from the University of Oklahoma. His career stops include the Moore American, Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise, Wagoner Tribune and Tulsa World. 

    EnergyTech is focused on the mission critical and large-scale energy users and their sustainability and resiliency goals. These include the commercial and industrial sectors, as well as the military, universities, data centers and microgrids. The C&I sectors together account for close to 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S.

    He was named Managing Editor for Microgrid Knowledge and EnergyTech starting July 1, 2023

    Many large-scale energy users such as Fortune 500 companies, and mission-critical users such as military bases, universities, healthcare facilities, public safety and data centers, shifting their energy priorities to reach net-zero carbon goals within the coming decades. These include plans for renewable energy power purchase agreements, but also on-site resiliency projects such as microgrids, combined heat and power, rooftop solar, energy storage, digitalization and building efficiency upgrades.

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