Correctional facility saves money

PUTNAMVILLE, Ind. (WTHI) - The Putnamville Correctional Facility is saving taxpayer dollars, by burning scrap wood pallets.

First, the pallets are broken down.

"From there it is loaded into this hopper. Once it's loaded into the hopper, it's conveyed into the silo outside," physical plant director Mike Callahan said.

Then, the wood goes into this biomass boiler, which this facility said is a real money saver.

"A regular home uses electricity to heat hot water with, we use steam," Callahan said.

This steam powers much of the cooking and cleaning at this facility.

Together the biomass boiler saves the prison about $65,000 a month in utility costs.

The biomass boiler will cost $3.6 million to build and should take around five years to pay for itself in savings.