The mitigation and reduction of odors produced by the treatment plant and sludge disposal process has always been a priority of the SBRSA. Since 1983 the Authority has and continues to identify potential sources of odors and implement capital and/or operational improvements to reduce or eliminate the odor at its source.
Over the past 28 years the SBRSA has commissioned numerous engineering studies to identify the source of odors, characterize the odors and their components, and design treatment systems to control the odors.
Major projects constructed to combat odors include:
- Installation of geodesic dome covers on the Sludge Thickening Tanks
- Construction and installation of a sodium hypochlorite wet scrubbing unit to treat the odors from the covered sludge thickening tanks and Liquid Sludge Receiving Facility.
- Install covers and a sodium hypochlorite wet scrubbing unit to treat the odors from the Grit Chambers and Septage Receiving Facility (1).
- Installation of a carbon adsorber odor control unit to treat the odors generated at the Sludge Cake Receiving Facility.
- Installation of a single pass afterburner on the exhaust gases of the incinerator(s).
- Construction and installation of flat panel covers and four biofilters to treat the odors from the Modified Aeration Tanks.
- Construction and installation of carbon adsorbers at the three regional sewage pumping stations.
- The installation of enclosed belt filter presses.
- The addition of a liquid odor control agent into the liquid sludge processing train.
- Installation of three biofilters to treat odors from the Headworks Building.
All in all the Stony Brook Regional Sewerage Authority has spent over $9,533,000 to identify and mitigate or reduce the odors generated by the wastewater facilities.
SBRSA’s efforts continue today thorough additional sampling & analysis, capital projects (i.e. the new Headworks Facility), and process optimization.
(1) In 2002 with the construction of the Modified Aeration Tank flat panel covers and biofilters, the wet scrubber for the Grit Chambers and Septage Receiving Facility was abandoned and the treatment of the odors from these two systems was incorporated into the MA odor control system.