The Merchantville-Pennsauken Water Commission is committed to protecting the environment and doing its part to practice and promote sustainability whenever possible.

Westfield Avenue Construction

The headquarters building, located at 6751 Westfield Avenue in Pennsauken, was constructed using green technologies. The site uses a geothermal system for heating and cooling. Light sensors and high efficiency lighting are used throughout the building. A heat transfer wheel was installed to temper the outside air used in the heating and cooling system. Low flow fixtures were used in the bathrooms. As much as possible, green materials were used throughout the building, including bamboo flooring and recycled material furniture.

Irrigation

The MPWC partnered with the Township of Pennsauken to install smart irrigation weather sensors on some of the larger recreational complexes in our service area. The sensors monitor the amount of precipitation that has fallen and current weather conditions, adjusting how much water is used to irrigate the fields. Depending on the weather, as much as 50 percent of the water used to irrigate fields can be saved.

Woodbine Treatment Plant

The MPWC installed variable frequency drives (VFDs) on the two well motors at the Woodbine Treatment Plant. The original site configuration had the well pumps gated back to reduce the flow. By installing VFDs on the well pump motors, the motors can run at slower speeds, saving electricity at the site. The new VFDs use 40 percent of the electricity that the original well motors used.

Browning Solar Field

A total of 1,188 solar panels were installed at the Browning Road plant to produce 275 KW of electrical energy. The solar energy produced by the panels is used to power the treatment equipment at that site. Approximately 75 percent of the energy used at the site comes from the solar field. There are no greenhouse emissions associated with solar, and the field is cheaper to operate for the MPWC than buying electricity through our local provider.

Arbor Day

As part of the MPWC’s commitment to the environment and its natural resources, the Commissioners and staff acknowledge the vital importance of trees to the conservation of soil, energy, water, wildlife, and the atmosphere by planting trees in honor of Arbor Day at locations in both Pennsauken Township and the Borough of Merchantville.