A project to install emergency generators at the Little Patuxent Water Reclamation Plant at 8900 Greenwood Place in Savage is scheduled to begin Monday.
Three 2,500-kilowatt emergency power generators and 15-kilovolt switchgear will be installed to provide a third power source for the plant, in the event the two independent Baltimore Gas and Electric power feeds are disrupted, according to a news release from the county.
The generators are part of the county's $8.1 million electrical protection system upgrade in an effort to safeguard the Water Reclamation Plant from outages that could lead to sewage overflows, such as that which occurred during Superstorm Sandy. The upgrade was unveiled by Howard County Executive Ken Ulman last October.
In addition to the three backup generators, the plant upgrade also includes the installation of 15,000 square feet of solar panels capable of producing 217 kilowatts of electricity. Since nearing completion in May, the panels have generated 117,795 kilowatt-hours of electricity and saved the county over $11,000 to date, officials said.
Weather permitting, the project is expected to be completed by late September 2015. The installation project is not expected to affect traffic.