Be honest. How many Hutchinson residents think about how their city provides safe drinking water and handles its wastewater? Probably not very many.

Most Americans don’t give a second thought to the safety of the water coming out of their home’s faucets. That’s due to the generally high standards met by most water treatment plants, including at Hutchinson’s new $15 million plant.

For 25 years, members of the Lake Marion Improvement Association have given their time and money to help preserve one of McLeod County’s aquatic crown jewels.

Why do they do it? As association president Pete Maiers explains, “We’re not just here to take and take and not put back … The waters were given to us and we borrow them. We don’t destroy this gift.”

Jean Ward and Casey Stotts of the Hutchinson Housing and Redevelopment Agency have been recognized with 2008 Minnesota Energy Challenge Energy Efficiency Awards for their efforts to educate Hutchinson residents about energy efficiency and conservation and lowering the carbon footprint of Minnesota.

The awards are presented by the Center for Energy and Environment, a nonprofit based in Minneapolis. The Minnesota Energy Challenge encourages businesses and residents to reduce their carbon footprints by taking simple, effective steps to become more energy efficient.

Failing to capture $2.5 million in state money during the 2008 legislative session has stopped the promoter of a plasma gasification energy test project from seeking Minnesota money for it.

Minneapolis-based Phoenix Solutions has proposed working with Hutchinson Utilities Commission to use a plasma reactor burning various biofuels to create a synthetic gas to generate electricity.

To see firsthand how trash is turned to electricity, check out the June 26 open house at the Spruce Ridge Landfill Gas-to-Energy plant.

Spruce Ridge, operated by Waste Management, is home to the recently commissioned plant, which burns landfill gas to power electrical generators. Glencoe Light & Power Commission partners with Spruce Ridge and will eventually use the power to charge up 2,500 homes.