Besos Wastewater Treatment Plant, Barcelona, Spain
Click here to enlarge imageA Smelly Problem
Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, is the second largest city in Spain. With a thriving population, the city also has a bustling tourist industry. In fact, its 74–acre Forum, which is also on the Mediterranean just north of downtown, is a main attraction for residents and tourists alike. The Forum consists of plazas, parks, ports, luxury hotels, a concert arena, a convention center and a public square complete with an amusement park. While the population and tourist traffic in Barcelona have continued to grow to overwhelming proportions, odors from the cities’ increasing wastewater also grew. Specifically, odors from existing concentrations of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) in the wastewater were very prevalent. Both gases emit pungent, irritating smells if left untreated. To eliminate the poignant problem while maximizing on a visually pleasing atmosphere, the Ministry of Environment sought to enlarge and update the Besos WWTP. Due to the area’s growth spurt, space was limited. Therefore, the proposed solution for the necessary wastewater treatment plant was to construct the plant completely underground. The renovated Besos WWTP was constructed beneath the Barcelona Forum’s premium accommodations, which intensified the primary requirement for guaranteed odor control.
Providing the Solution
Purafil was suggested to provide odor control for the Besos WWTP because its products and equipment can be customized to specifically eliminate the prevalent gases emanating from wastewater, providing 100% odor removal. Initially, nearly 100 Purafil® ESD Drum–Scrubber odor control systems complete with Purafil OdoroxidantTM and OdormixTM dry–scrubbing media were selected to remove the odors and ventilate the densely populated area’s WWTP.