If your plant is struggling with odors from wastewater treatment, it may be time to consider covering the tank or lagoon with an air-tight cover. “Capture and treat” technology is a simple, effective way to alleviate odor concerns, benefiting plant workers, the neighboring community, and the reputation of the treatment plant itself.
How effective is your wastewater odor control?
Safe Wastewater Odor Control
- Nontoxic, biodegradable, non-combustible
- No volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
- Plant-based and organic
- Safe to breathe
- Non-corrosive to equipment
Does the wastewater treatment plant smell bad?
While wastewater treatment plants do smell, it’s important to reduce those smells for several reasons. First, you don’t want people who live nearby to constantly complain to the town or city about the odors. Second, those odors are linked to harmful gases being released during the treatment process. Odor management helps protect the environment.
How to bring IoT to your wastewater treatment plant?
IoT-enabled water sensors can track the quality, potability, pressure, and temperature of wastewater. A solution that includes dynamic sensor clusters and robust platform-driven analytics can allow operators to measure liquid flow and can be used by a water utility company to track the flow across the whole treatment plant.
How is aeration used in wastewater treatment?
His preliminary report shows the current treatment facility and sewage system might have a few years of use left but should be replaced by an extended aeration facility as soon as possible due to potential risks of continuing to use the old system.
How do you control odor in wastewater treatment?
Wet air scrubbing is the most flexible and reliable technology for vapor-phase wastewater odor control. This technology can be used to treat virtually any water-soluble contaminant. In addition to hydrogen sulfide and "organic" odors, wet scrubbing is very effective for ammonia removal.
Why do wastewater treatment plants smell?
It's heated to a certain temperature and uses anaerobic bacteria to break it down. In this process, hydrogen sulfide, carbon dioxide, and methane are produced and add to the smells found in a wastewater treatment plant.
Do waste water treatment plants stink?
It's important to remember that all treatment facilities have the potential to generate odors. In most cases, the root cause of the smell is an anaerobic, or septic, condition where the oxygen flow to the water or wastewater is limited.
What method is used to remove odors?
In most cases, oxidation is the best method for controlling taste and odour problems. Oxidation can be carried out with the following chemicals: Potassium permanganate, Ozone & Chlorine dioxide or chlorine.
Why is my treatment plant smelling?
There are a few main causes that will result in your sewage treatment plant beginning to smell. The main reason is simply a build-up of sludge over time. Sewage treatment plants need to be emptied at least once a year because only the wastewater is ejected. A bad smell usually just means that it's time to be emptied.
What is odour control?
What is Odour Control? Odour control technologies physically, chemically or biologically suppress unpleasant odours from treatment plants. Odour control may be required where wastewater treatment plants release sulphur compounds, ammonia and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
How are colour and odour removed from wastewater?
Activated carbon is used to remove colour, taste and odour from water. Activated carbon is produced by heating a carbonaceous material such as coke, charcoal, paper mill waste, saw dust, lignite, etc., in a closed vessel at a high temperature.
Which of the following are method to control odour pollution?
Industrially hydrogen peroxide has been used for years to deodorize, disinfect and neutralize hazardous pollutants. Ozone is a very powerful oxidizing agent it is produced in-situ. Ozone in water decomposes to oxygen and hydroxyl radicals, each of which has a higher oxidation potential than either ozone or chlorine.
How do you make water odorless?
Follow these steps to eliminate a fishy smell from your drinking water:Fill a glass with water from the sink that has the smell, then step away from the sink and swirl the water around inside the glass a few times. ... To flush the drain, pour half a cup of baking soda down the drain, then pour half a cup of vinegar.
What does an odor control cover do?
By Brent Howe. Odor control covers can also collect biogas, help regulate temperatures, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. U npleasant odors at wastewater treatment plants are a reminder that the plant is doing what it is intended to do: treat wastewater. Odors are an unfortunate but completely natural by-product of microorganisms breaking down ...
Where is Town Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant located?
The Town Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant located in Lexington, Ky., treats almost 11 billion gallons of wastewater annually. It needed to replace its end-of-life steel-dome covers with a solution that would control odors but also maintain consistent temperatures throughout the year.
Is odor control a priority?
Suddenly, odor control becomes a priority. It is difficult to convey to the public that a treatment plant has limited resources and competing demands for budget allocations. The community simply wants the odors gone, and the plant wants the complaints to stop. There are many different technologies that can be applied to control odors ...
What causes wastewater to smell?
Low dissolved oxygen coupled with rising temperatures can lead to an increase in anoxic zones at the bottom of wastewater aeration basins. Anaerobic digestion releases sulphur dioxide, along with a variety of other noxious gases that are the causes of wastewater odour.
How to avoid odour in an aeration basin?
Ensuring dissolved oxygen is reaching the very bottom of an aeration basin is key to avoiding odour as this is where the odour-causing anaerobic digestion occurs. By circulating the wastewater effectively, you can create nearly equal dissolved oxygen throughout. This in turn will promote odour-free aerobic digestion.
Why is the temperature of wastewater rising?
Rising Temperatures. Temperatures are rising as we come into the summer months and with this, the temperature of the wastewater also increases. As a result, aerobic bacteria become more active and begin digesting BOD and other nutrients at a faster rate.
Does aeration increase oxygen?
This in turn will promote odour-free aerobic digestion. Aeration technologies currently in use are not always effective at increasing oxygen supply and ensuring circulation throughout. Surface aerators only circulate to a shallow depth of the water column and do not increase dissolved oxygen in deeper water bodies.
What Are the Causes of Odors at Wastewater Treatment Facilities?
In most cases, these smells are the result of the anaerobic decomposition of organic materials. The strong smell that most people associate with these facilities comes from hydrogen sulfide, a by-product of decomposition. Other compounds that cause odors include amines and mercaptans, which are both rich in sulfur.
What causes a foul smell in wastewater treatment?
Unfortunately, foul odors from wastewater treatment facilities are common, and the causes and solutions are typically complex. For some communities, private industries such as industrial farms and food processing plants are the culprits, while in others the municipal systems are the cause.
How to stop a tank from smelling?
The easiest way to deal with an odor problem is to seal tanks with a cover to stop bad smells from escaping into the atmosphere. However, this often leads to complaints from workers. Another solution involves capturing the foul air and treating it with a carbon filter, biofilter, liquid redox technology or wet air scrubbing.
What are the problems with wastewater plants?
Weather conditions including heat, humidity and high winds can exacerbate the problem. Wastewater plants tend to receive most complaints during the summer months, but maintenance and control measures need to work well throughout the year.
Can deodorizing mists be used in wastewater?
Many wastewater plants will use deodorizing mists to address the issues; however , this usually just masks the real problem. Adding chemicals and biological agents to the water at various stages of the treatment process causes reactions that can neutralize odors, but sometimes making simple changes to the process is the best solution.
What causes odors in wastewater?
Any place or process in which wastewater is collected, conveyed or treated has the potential to generate and release nuisance odors to the surrounding area. However, most odor problems occur in the collection system, in primary treatment facilities and in solids handling facilities. In most instances, the odors associated with collection systems and primary treatment facilities are generated as a result of an anaerobic or "septic" condition. This condition occurs when oxygen transfer to the wastewater is limited such as in a force main. In the anaerobic state, the microbes present in the wastewater have no dissolved oxygen available for respiration.
What are the two types of technologies used to control odors in wastewater?
These technologies can be split into two main groups: vapor-phase technologies, used to control odorous compounds in the air or gas; and liquid-phase technologies, used to control odorous compounds in ...
What is wet air scrubbing?
Wet air scrubbing is the most flexible and reliable technology for vapor-phase wastewater odor control. This technology can be used to treat virtually any water-soluble contaminant. In addition to hydrogen sulfide and "organic" odors, wet scrubbing is very effective for ammonia removal. In a wet air scrubber the odor contaminants are solubilized from the vapor phase into an aqueous chemical solution. The removal mechanism is purely chemical and is not subject to upsets as are biological processes. The chemical balance in the system is automatically and continuously maintained, even under changing loading conditions, minimizing the chance for odor break-through. The application of a multi-stage scrubber allows the utilization of a different chemical solution in each of the stages to efficiently use chemicals and target a wide range of contaminants for treatment.
What are the advantages of a wet air scrubber?
One major advantage of wet scrubbing systems is the reliability and flexibility provided by the use of chemicals and chemical reactions. A major challenge in the design and operation of wet air scrubbers is the minimization of chemical use and cost while maintaining complete, flexible and reliable treatment. One design used to reduce chemical use is the multi-stage scrubbing system. As mentioned above, in raw wastewater applications the most prevalent contaminant is hydrogen sulfide, but other organic odorous compounds typically are present as well. Hydrogen sulfide can be solubilized with a solution of sodium hydroxide.
What is the most common contaminant in wastewater?
As mentioned above, in raw wastewater applications the most prevalent contaminant is hydrogen sulfide, but other organic odorous compounds typically are present as well. Hydrogen sulfide can be solubilized with a solution of sodium hydroxide.
How does bioxide work?
The process uses naturally occurring bacteria to biochemically oxidize dissolved sulfide in the presence of nitrate. This mechanism takes place when the solution is applied in wastewater that contains dissolved sulfide. The sulfide typically is either generated upstream of the injection point where no nitrate exists in the wastewater or is contributed downstream via a septic lateral flow. Nitrate is injected in sufficient quantities to biochemically oxidize the sulfide via the following reaction.
What is liquid phase in wastewater?
Liquid-phase technologies typically are used in collection systems where control of both odors and corrosion are concerns and/or where multiple point odor control is an objective.
Why is it important to control odor in wastewater treatment plants?
Even on a cold day with no wind, odor is present in each of these areas, causing potential issues for both workers and the surrounding communities.
What is the best way to control wastewater odor?
With all of these factors to consider, working with an odor control partner is the best option to determine the best odor control solution for a specific wastewater treatment facility. Companies who specialize in odor control will know how to access a facility, can determine the exact sources of odor, factor in weather and environmental conditions and recommend an appropriate course of action.
What is OMI in wastewater treatment?
OMI Ind. uses natural, plant-based formulations to neutralize the odor molecules themselves rather than masking the smell. Through a mode of action, multiple delivery methods and rigorous safety qualifications, these methods are resulting in safe and complete control of odor emissions in wastewater treatment.
How many nozzles are there in Crystal Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant?
After working with an engineer, two high-pressure atomization systems were installed. Each has 20 nozzles for distributing Ecosorb liquid product. One system was installed in the plant influent flume area, and another was placed in the aerated grit removal area. Performance was pleasing enough at the plant that the waterless 130 CFM Vapor Phase units became available, one was installed in the influent flume area, replacing the original high-pressure system.
What is Ecosorb odor control?
Ecosorb, a natural, plant-based odor control solution created by OMI Ind., is providing facilities safe, natural and effective odor control programs. It has established a proven track record in a variety of industries, including wastewater treatment.
What happens when a plant-based solution is dispersed into the air?
When dispersed into the air, the molecules of these plant-based solutions immediately bond with present odor molecules. Once bonded, the plant-based molecules absorb odor molecules, similar to water droplets being drawn into a sponge.
How do we sense smells?
We sense odors when the structural characteristics of their molecules stimulate the body’s olfactory sensory cells that are responsible for processing smells. From the chemical side, once the cause of the odor is determined, we’re able to identify the solution that will effectively remove the odor.
What is the most commonly odor-producing compound from sewage treatment plants?
Hydrogen sulfide is reported as one of the most commonly odor-producing compounds from sewage treatment plants. The literature review revealed that very little information is available on the emission of H2S from different units of sewage treatment plants. Besides, the removal efficiency as well as dispersion studies of H2S should be explored more. Therefore, the purposes of this study were to measure the emissions of H2S, evaluate the efficiency of odor control unit, and explore the dispersion potential of H2S from a sewage treatment plant in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman. Site survey analysis revealed four sources (tanker discharge area, grit/sand and fog removal channels, pre aeration basin, and screen building) of H2S in the plant premises. Additionally, measurement analysis showed that the efficiency of odor control unit, which treated the emissions from all sources, except the tanker discharge facility, was 90.2%. The Gaussian plume dispersion modeling studies demonstrated that the allowable concentration of dispersed H2S (1 ppm) was observed > 30 m from the identified sources. Although the combined outlet of the odor control unit was greater than 1 ppm, the plant is complying with the current environmental specifications at the boundaries (≤1 ppm) set by the environmental authorities. Hence, a set of recommendations is suggested to improve the efficiency of the system to resolve the odor emission from the plant.
What are the discrepancies in mass of odorous pollutants before and after chemical conditioning?
The discrepancies in mass of odorous pollutants before and after chemical conditioning were likely to be related to chemical conversion under acidification, oxidation and precipitation in the presence of ferric ions. The influence of chemical complexity on the perception of multicomponent odor mixtures. Article.