May 5, 2014
Problem
The city of Crystal Lake, Ill., is located about 45 miles northwest of Chicago with a population of nearly 45,000 people. Like many wastewater treatment plants, urban sprawl and suburban development puts the Crystal Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant near a host of commercial and residential neighbors, including a high school immediately west of the plant. As such, plant managers were very forward thinking and wanted to be good neighbors to those occupying the surrounding area. They wanted to take steps to reduce -- and hopefully eliminate completely -- any odor issues from the plant.
Solution
Crystal Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant contacted OMI Industries to learn more about how Ecosorb® odor eliminating products could be employed at the plant. After working with a sales engineer from OMI, two high-pressure atomization systems were installed. Each with 20 nozzles for distributing Ecosorb liquid product, one system was installed in the plant influent flume area and another in the aerated grit removal area. Performance was pleasing enough at the plant that when OMI's waterless 130CFM Vapor Phase units became available, one of these was installed in the influent flume area, replacing one of the original high-pressure systems.
A newer 450CFM Vapor Phase unit was installed around the aerated grit removal area, with over 900 feet of six-inch vapor line covering grit removal as well as the primary clarifiers. As recently as 2013, a second 450CFM Vapor Phase system was installed outside the sludge storage building; it is insulated, heated and heat-traced to withstand fluctuations in midwestern weather patterns. Vapor ducting feeds from the machine into the side of the building and creates a continuous loop surrounding the building. The machine runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Outcome Because of proper pre-planning with the right partner and solution, Crystal Lake Wastewater Treatment Plant has received no odor complaints in the time that Ecosorb products and equipment have been at work eliminating odors. The plant in Crystal Lake has continued to work with OMI, upgrading to newer and more efficient equipment as it has become available in order to stay ahead of their odor issues and keep things running smoothly. Plants in similar urban sprawl situations that have not moved toward an effective odor management solution have faced complaints and, at times, have been fined by local government until their odor issues were solved.
See also:
"LEED certification 'smells good' to Ecosorb"
About OMI
OMI Industries is a developer of safe and effective industrial odor management solutions for a wide variety of applications. Our proprietary Ecosorb® odor eliminator doesn't mask smells, it neutralizes them by breaking down and removing a broad spectrum of organic and inorganic odors. From landfills to refineries to wastewater treatment facilities, OMI offers an industrial odor management solution that's safe for you, your process and the environment. For more information, visit https://ecosorbindustrial.com.
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