Merced Sun-Star

ATWATER -- City officials broke ground Wednesday on a solar panel site that's expected to significantly reduce energy costs on the largest and most expensive project the city's ever undertaken.

Atwater's new wastewater treatment plant became operational last month and is expected to eat up about twice as much energy as the old plant because of the ultraviolet purification system used to meet stricter drinking water standards.

Councilman Jeff Rivero, who's been lobbying for a solar energy site for four years to offset that cost, expects the setup to save the city about $1.5 million over the next 20 years.