A City Water, Light and Power supervisor was suspended for three days last month for his role in the failure of a generator last November that has resulted in a repair bill estimated at nearly $6 million.
Files obtained by Illinois Times under the state Freedom of Information Act show that Robert Archer, CWLP supervisor of generation, was punished for failing to recognize falling voltage levels that signaled a failure in battery-charging equipment. The voltage level at Unit 33, the generator where fire broke out, was supposed to average 131, according to city files. Over the course of two hours on Nov. 8, the voltage level fell by 9 and was recorded in a log, according to city files. But Archer, who worked a 12-hour overnight shift that ended on Nov. 9, didn't "recognize" the issue, according to CWLP files. He also failed to recognize an issue on Nov. 10 and Nov. 11 when voltage levels fell even further, to 116, according to utility files.
On Nov. 12, Unit 33 tripped, or shut down. CWLP files obtained by Illinois Times don't state the cause of the shutdown. Low voltage levels prevented systems that should have provided lubrication from kicking in, according to CWLP files, and so the turbine's bearings ran dry as oiling equipment didn't turn on, as designed, while the generator's turbine was winding down to a stop. The result was a fire and "catastrophic damage," according to files. A fact sheet supplied to aldermen in February shows that repair costs will total $6 million, with the city paying a $1 million deductible and insurers paying the balance.
Archer, whose 2019 salary was $109,802, did not protest his punishment, according to city files. Other CWLP employees also are facing discipline, according to city officials, including Mayor Jim Langfelder, who has said that termination is a possibility.
During a Tuesday meeting of the city council, CWLP chief utility engineer Doug Brown told aldermen that the repair schedule for the generator where fire broke out last fall has been delayed. The generator likely won't be operational until mid-June, he said.
CWLP plans to retire its two oldest generators by year's end, but no precise shutdown date has been set for the turbine that caught fire.
