Lewis County, Washington

In 2023, Lewis County, Washington, selected the Millig Design Build team to renew critical infrastructure and replace aging equipment at the Lewis County Jail.

Lewis County Jail was constructed in 1985. In 2005, an expansion tripled its size. Today, it’s a 94,000-square-foot, 365-bed facility. At the time of engagement, the county was spending $200,000 a year to fix and maintain the jail’s old and inefficient systems, which included HVAC systems that were past their end-on-life and an antiquated controls system for which the county had trouble finding replacement parts.

Solutions

For the 1985 section of the jail, the Millig team designed an energy-efficient variable refrigerant flow (VRF) system and rebuilt existing rooftop units with variable speed drives and a new energy recovery wheel to supply ventilation to the areas served by VRF.

The Millig team also replaced the aging and inefficient rooftop units serving the newer section of the jail with new, more energy-efficient units and controls.

The team's solutions eliminated most of the jail's maintenance costs and will save the county an additional $50,000 annually in energy costs.

In addition to facility upgrades, Millig Design Build helped Lewis County secure grants and incentives to help pay for the project.