BEAVERTON VALLEY, WA – Clean Water Services converted all 74 of its diesel-powered vehicles and equipment to B-5 biodiesel in a pilot effort to reduce harmful emissions, according to the Beaverton Valley Times. The B-5 mixture contains 5 percent biodiesel and 95 percent conventional diesel. The 74 diesel vehicles are part of the district’s 128-vehicle fleet that performs wastewater and stormwater services, such as street sweeping, erosion, source control investigations, and maintenance of storm sewers and pipelines.

Although greater emission reduction occurs at higher concentrations of biodiesel, the district is using B-5 as part of its testing phase. The district will evaluate its biodiesel program after six months in order to monitor performance, fuel mileage, and engine oil samples. At that time, converting to a higher blend such as B-20 (20 percent biodiesel and 80 percent conventional diesel) will be considered.

In addition to the biodiesel conversion, the district purchased three Ford Escape gas electric hybrids, which have resulted in almost a 50 percent increase in fuel and emissions savings over the mid-size vehicles they replaced, according to the Beaverton Valley Times. The district also recently converted a new Chevrolet Colorado pickup to compressed natural gas (CNG).