Okanogan Irrigation District installs new energy efficient pumps

OKANOGAN – The Okanogan Irrigation District is seeing huge energy savings with new pumps at their Shellrock station, earning the district an energy efficiency incentive check of $87,782.75 through Okanogan County PUD. The PUD manages these incentive programs through funding by the Bonneville Power Administration, a major source of its electricity.

District Manager Brad Armstrong said three out of four pumps had been replaced. The new pumps contain stainless steel parts instead of bronze, which will last longer. Ultimately, the 1979 pumps needed replacing because rebuilding an old one costs more than purchasing a new one. The incentive check will help the district fund future upgrades, including the purchase of new motors.

Now that the new pumps are in place, the district’s electric bill dropped nearly in half from an average of $1,200-1,400 per day to $700-800 per day. The 920,589 kilowatt-hours of electricity saved annually could power more than 54 average homes.

The energy and maintenance savings will help to keep irrigation rates low for the district’s approximate 1,020 accounts, which represents more than 5,000 acres.