BAY MINETTE, Ala. — North Baldwin Utilities is set to purchase new waste-water blowers.

 During Thursday’s monthly meeting of the North Baldwin Utilities Board, NBU General Manager Jason Padgett announced the acquisition, explaining that the equipment will function as injectors for the treatment of wastewater, with six blowers in the 2 million gallon plant breaking down the water.

According to Padgett, the blowers, which will be in use by next year, replace 24-year-old equipment at the Harry Still Sr. Wastewater Treatment Plant located on East First Avenue in Bay Minette.

Replacing the equipment is a $950,000 project, Padgett told the board, explaining that it will be paid for with the help of a $450,000 principal-forgiveness loan from the Alabama Department of Environmental Management.

The general manager said he will not know the make, model and purchase date of the equipment until NBU gets the state loan in October.

According to Padgett, the benefits of the state loan will even be felt by NBU consumers.

“It allows us to keep rates as low as we can for customers,” he said.

According to Padgett, the funding is unusual, as North Baldwin Utilities is the only company in Baldwin County to receive this type of assistance and the only company in South Alabama to get such a loan with principal forgiveness.

Padgett said that he is proud of the outcome for the company’s efforts to fund upgrades to the advanced-treatment system.

“I’m happy to say that we were part of that for energy efficiency,” he said.

Also at Thursday’s NBU Board meeting:

r Padgett reported that the Forest Park lift station broke down on July 16 and took employees four days to repair.

r Padgett reported 11 new tappings for water service and one new gas service inside Bay Minette city limits.

r The board reported no overflows and no discharge-monitoring violations.

r Padgett reported that, as of June, company sales reached $2.2 million in water, $2.8 million in gas and $923,000 in wastewater revenue, which is a total of $5.9 million — a $200,00 increase over this time last year.