CASE STUDY

GRANDVILLE WATER PLANT’S ELECTRICAL REVAMP PROMISES CLEANER, SAFER WATER

June 2026

The Grandville Clean Water Plant is a crucial municipal utility serving the city of Grandville, Michigan, responsible for treating wastewater and maintaining the city’s clean water infrastructure while adhering to regulatory standards. To enhance its operations, the plant partnered with Hillard Electric, known for its expertise in electrical system design and maintenance. This collaboration modernized the plant’s electrical infrastructure with automation and monitoring technologies, ensuring a more resilient and efficient operation that continues to deliver clean, safe water to the community.

Project Overview

LOCATION

Jenison, MI

ENERGY SAVINGS

Operational Cost Savings: 50%+

PLANT POWER

More Than 50% Supplied by New Co-Gens

CHALLENGE

The Grandville Clean Water Plant needed support from Hillard Electric as part of their continued effort to modernize their aging electrical equipment and systems. Together, Grandville and Hillard collaborated on identifying modernizations required to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs.

SOLUTION

Hillard Electric implemented a comprehensive electrical services upgrade for the Grandville Clean Water Plan, focusing on enhancing the reliability, safety, and efficiency. The project included:

Thorough electrical audit and system analysis, identifying areas of inefficiency and vulnerabilities to align the new system with long-term operational goals.
Enhancement of the electrical distribution system by replacing outdated transformers, distribution equipment, and control panels with more efficient alternatives to meet power demands and minimize downtime.
Installation of a new co-generation power system thoroughly tested to ensure seamless operation and continuous wastewater processing during potential power failures.
The new system utilizes methane gas harvested from the Grandville Plant and runs through a cleaning system. After it is mixed with natural gas, it feeds more than half of the plant’s power.
Long-term service and maintenance agreement, providing regular inspections, preventative maintenance, and rapid-response support to ensure optimal performance of the electrical systems. These improvements significantly enhanced the plant’s operational efficiency, reduced downtime, and ensured compliance with environmental regulations while meeting growing demands

These improvements significantly enhanced the plant’s operational efficiency, reduced downtime, and ensured compliance with environmental regulations while meeting growing demands.

RESULTS

The electrical system upgrade by Hillard Electric delivered comprehensive benefits to the Grandville Clean Water Plant, including increased reliability through reduced unplanned outages and achieving more than 50% in operational cost savings. The project enhanced energy efficiency by replacing outdated components, improved regulatory compliance with advanced monitoring tools, and future-proofed the plant’s infrastructure to accommodate technological advancements. By implementing scalable electrical systems, the plant can now maintain consistent water treatment processes, meet stringent regulatory standards, and strategically allocate resources toward operational improvements.

“Hillard Electric is very proactive, looking at what we have and what they think we’ll need in the future. They follow through with everything that they say they’re going to do, whether that is a Sunday emergency call out, a pre-planning construction meeting, or an in the field installation. They always far exceed my expectations.” The Grandville Clean Water Plant Team