The Winslow City Council heard a presentation by Granite Creek Farms regarding a wastewater reclamation bio-energy proposal Tuesday evening. Thomas Stewart and Jessica Dresang showed slides and spoke about the proposal.
The proposal was for a public/private partnership, and would start with a feasibility study for converting wastewater into bio-energy. They explained the basic project structure and the roles of the project participants: those taking the power from the project; the lenders, whether government or private; and the owners of the project.
They noted that the project could lower costs for the city to perform duties it does now to dispose of wastewater and its products, and estimated the city would save around $240,000 in such costs. Around another $60,000 would be saved in sludge dewatering costs. Those savings include both chemical and staffing costs.
After the proposal, City Manager Stephen Pauken said that while he appreciated the presentation, he was a skeptic and would like to see sheets telling what was expected of the city and what was in it for the city before he could recommend it.
Stewart said that Yavapai County had shown interest and support for the proposal as had the cities of Prescott and Chino Valley. He said that the facilities in existence are in the Phoenix area and that a large area is necessary. He noted that including other communities, such as Holbrook and Joseph City, and even Navajo County would be better for Winslow.
