Solar powers plant saving Sparta Aquifer

Louisiana's largest publicly owned solar farm began ginning electricity this week for a project that fuels an industry and saves an aquifer.

As if on cue, the sun popped out for the first time in days as West Monroe Mayor Dave Norris and Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Chuck Carr Brown toured the 880-panel power grid Thursday.

"You hear that?" Norris asked as the decibel level began rising on the buzz from a power panel. "The more the sun shines the louder it gets and the more electricity it produces."

The city's solar farm is providing a portion of the power for the West Monroe Sparta Reuse Facility that transforms sewer water into clean water used by Graphic Packing in its paper mill.

West Monroe's $20 million Sparta Reuse plant opened in 2012 after a decade of planning prompted by a study showing the city would lose its drinking water from the Sparta Aquifer by 2025 if usage didn't decline.

Graphic pulled more from the Sparta than any other industry, about 10 million gallons a day, which has been cut in half because of the city's reuse facility.

And now the $1.5 million solar farm, funded by a Department of Environmental Quality grant, will make the wastewater campus even greener. Bannister Energy Solutions, a northeastern Louisiana company, secured the contract for the solar panels.

"We're keen on renewable energy and this is a model for where we want to go and what we want to do as a state," Brown said. "This is the kind of approach we want. It's an outstanding investment by the state and will come back 10-fold."

"One thing you learn is almost everything takes longer than you think it does," Norris said. "This entire project happened in stages."

Graphic Packaging welcomed the concept of the reuse facility, which was also partially funded through state grants, when Norris approached the company 15 years ago, but there was a catch.

"The water had to meet drinking water standards because the company manufactured paper and cartons that would contain food,"  Norris said. "That was where we had to find a breakthrough, and we finally did."

Since then, static water levels of the Sparta have increased by 47 feet at United States Geological Survey test wells in the area.

"We're grateful for the recycling plant," said Graphic Packaging paper mill general manager Jeff Hargrave. "It's important for us to be able to use clean water that is recyclable. It's one of our three pillars."

The solar farm will be able to generate about 300 kilowatts of electricity at one time, which is enough to power about 60 homes. It's expected to provide at least 20 percent of the power to the Sparta Reuse plant.

"This project shows if you protect human health and the environment it will foster economic development and sustainability," Brown said.

Greg Hilburn covers state politics for the USA TODAY Network of Louisiana. Follow him on Twitter @GregHilburn1