Azusa Unified School District operates a fleet of 21 school buses, ten of which use compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel. The CNG buses were refueled at the Southern California Gas Company's Todd Avenue CNG refueling station; however, this placed a substantial burden on the bus drivers' time as well as a substantial financial burden on the school district. The most significant issues arose when the Todd Avenue CNG station was temporarily unavailable. Due to these issues, Azusa Unified sought financial assistance to construct their own CNG refueling facility.
345000.00
In August 2008, Azusa USD was awarded funding for the construction of a CNG refueling station at their property located at 546 South Citrus Avenue in the City of Azusa. The Southern California Gas Company participated in the project by installing a high pressure natural gas supply line adjacent to the Azusa USD Gladstone Street North property line.
The CNG refueling station is equipped with a 40 SCFM compressor and ten (10) time-fill dispensers rated at 3,600 pounds per square inch pressure. Additional time-fill dispensers can be added as the Azusa USD CNG bus fleet grows.
The Mechanics Garage modifications included replacement of radiant gas heaters with explosion proof heaters, installation of a new mechanical ventilation system, installation of a methane gas detection system, fire rated self closing doors, electrical fixture upgrades, and installation of safety signs.
The purpose of this project was to construct a CNG refueling station that would provide Azusa USD convenient, reliable fuel access for their existing fleet of ten natural gas school buses.
In addition, the project included modifications to the Mechanics Garage to allow indoor maintenance of the gaseous fuel vehicles.
The CNG refueling station and facility modifications are fully operational and Azusa USD has experienced minimal interuptions from equipment failures or maintenance issues. The new refueling capability is anticipated to serve the anticipated growth of Azusa USD's CNG bus fleet for the next 10 - 15 years.
Construction of the CNG refueling station and installation of maintenance facility upgrades are complete and fully operational.