Improvements Coming to South Wastewater Treatment Plant

Some important renovations will soon be coming to the South Wastewater Treatment Plant. The facility will soon be undergoing an installation of an odor control system. This action is moving forward on the heels of a similar endeavor that was performed at the Robindale Wastewater Treatment Plant.

These improvements are a good example of BPUB responding to what customers have been saying to us. The odor control system was something that people who live near the Robindale plant have been requesting, and after looking into the best solution, BPUB was able to find a way to address residents’ concerns.

Robindale’s new odor control system removes 99% of hydrogen sulfide, the gas primarily responsible for the intermittent odor often associated with a wastewater plant. The first step was to place covers over wastewater channels where odors are generated. These are the spots where the wastewater is churning the most. The covers capture the odors before they are released into open air. From there, the gas is pumped through a biological tower where microorganisms feed on the hydrogen sulfide, allowing Mother Nature to do its job. The end result is the elimination of the odors usually associated with a wastewater plant.

Seeing how much success we had at Robindale, this same system will be installed at the South Wastewater Treatment Plant. The BPUB Board has already approved the project and accepted a bid for construction. The project could be completed as early as the end of 2015, but testing the system will likely push full implementation into the new year.