Riverside Public Utilities has been testing a power-generating pipe that connects to Riverside's Gage canal. It harnesses the energy of the water flow to spin a turbine that generates electricity.
The pipe was installed as a test in February 2010.
The pilot project has proven successful, according to Riverside Public Utilities. A first version of the pipe generated 7 kilowatts (kW) of electricity on a continuous basis. A newer version of the system is in use and has created 23 megawatt hours of electricity; enough to provide power for several hundred homes.
Gage canal was originally designed to irrigate Riverside's citrus industry.
"This is essentially capturing energy that would have been wasted otherwise. The water will pretty much always flow through here," said Ward 1 Council Member Mike Gardner.
Because of the pipe, the California-Nevada section of the American Water Works Association (AWWA) is awarding Riverside Public Utilities for its 2011 Outstanding Energy Management Award,
The turbine sits inside a 48-inch water pipe that spins. The power is delivered to Riverside's city-owned utility.
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RPU will receive their award this month at the California-Nevada AWWA conference in Reno, Nev.
"Riverside is proud to serve as the pilot city to drive this technology forward," said Mayor Ronald O. Loveridge.
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