Clarksville touts progress on fixing sewer odor

By DAVID A. MANN (www.newsandtribune.com)

You smell that Lincoln Drive? It smells like victory.

After years of trouble, some in an area of Clarksville — near Lincoln Drive and North Clark Boulevard — are reporting that a more than 20-year-old odor problem has been fixed.

The issue, according to Clarksville Town Council President Greg Isgrigg, had been a smelly 8.5-mile sewer pipe, which connects the town’s north end to the nearby sewer plant. Isgrigg notes that a new, still experimental system was installed that’s quelled the smell.

“We’re thrilled by it,” said Angela Smith, co-owner of Cannon’s Florist, one of a handful of businesses in the area.

The florist has been at the location for about seven years and there were times when the odor was “really tremendous,” she said. Since the new process was put in place, she said those in the area have been able to enjoy the neighborhood much more than before.

The town of Clarksville was recognized recently with an award from the Indiana Water Environment Association for the effort. Isgrigg bragged that he was able to stick his head in a manhole along the line and continue breathing normally.

WHAT THEY DO

The town implemented what’s known as the VSP system. “It is very powerful chemistry,” said Stewart North, president of field operations for Source Technologies — the Lexington, Ky.-based company that developed Clarksville’s system. Clarksville was the first in the country to adopt the patent-pending process, North said.

The system, which is based at Ray Lawrence Park, was installed in February. A pump there adds pure oxygen (generated on-site) and the catalyst — which is basically an organic compound — to a nearby force main.

The two elements oxidize the sewage in the pipe, essentially removing the sulfide contained in the water before it has a chance to become hydrogen sulfide – which is what smells so bad, explains North.

None of this is to say there’s nothing smelly in Clarksville anymore. Those closer to the sewage treatment plant on North Clark Boulevard, such as Debbie Rager, co-owner of Pro Sound Music Shop, can still smell the plant.

However, Isgrigg said, the dry summer and fall — where the line may have been more stagnant than in wetter years — was a good test for the catalyst.

“If I haven’t done anything else in the last five years, I’ve solved that problem,” he joked.

By Dave Lukas

When one thinks of sewers, wastewater treatment plants and the contents associated with them the connotation of a dark dank pipe that reeks of odors comes to mind. The treatment plant being the recipient of the sewers has to be equally offensive. For the most part this has always been true. Wastewater smells. This is the plain fact. It smells and at times it smells really bad.

THE GOAL – TO SMELL LIKE A TROUT STREAM

Hydrogen Sulfide gas is the primary chemical produced in the sewers and smells of rotten cabbage. Hydrogen Sulfide is one of the base chemicals that other more complex odors are formed from. If the base chemical is removed then the other complex chemicals can’t form. The examples of more complex odor causing compounds could include: Mercaptans, Skatole, Indole, Putrescene, Thiols and the ever pleasant Cadaverine – each with its own odor characteristics.

The goal of economically making both sewers and treatment plants odor free, or at least greatly diminished of odors, has been to date generally unobtainable. There have been chemicals available to diminish some of the odors but the costs were extremely prohibitive. Just recently, however, a new company – Source Technologies- with a new product line came to the Northeast looking for a progressive municipality to test their products.

Their process to be tested was to take 50% hydrogen peroxide and mix it with their proprietary catalyst. Catalysts can either speed up or slow down a chemical reaction. In this case the catalyst in combination with 50 %hydrogen peroxide causes the peroxide to become “supercharged”. In this state the chemical reaction is focused on the easiest compounds to be oxidized and in our case it is hydrogen sulfide. Once the reaction occurs it is impossible for hydrogen sulfide to be regenerated once the sulfur molecule has been taken away from the hydrogen molecules. This reaction happens within 5 minutes.

Another major side benefit of the removal of hydrogen sulfide from the sewer system is that there shouldn’t be any sulfuric acid produced from the hydrogen sulfide. Sulfuric acid presently causes rapid decay to the pipes, manholes, pump stations, and all associated equipment. The infrastructure won’t be deteriorated from sulfuric acid as it does now.

The main pump station that supplies sewage to the FEV plant was the perfect location to inject and test both chemicals. The detention time to the plant is normally 10 minutes. Within minutes the odor level in the plant should have greatly diminished. Once the chemicals were applied by most accounts the odors were either greatly diminished or completely eliminated. “Smells like a trout stream “or “I smell nothing at all”or “FEV hasn’t smelled this good in 30 yrs.” was heard. This was nothing short of amazing. With such success at FEV, this process was then demo’ed at the Buttonwood Pump Station where it proved to be equally effective. Both the pump station area and the Northwest Facility became odor free. The neighbors there will equally appreciate the change to the air quality.

This process is also to be tested at Shaft #2 where it will hopefully minimize odors on the GCO force main, Plymouth Ave. , Fitzhugh St and then towards the FEV plant. Other locations throughout the County will be tested as time allows.

The overall effectiveness of this process may also help to minimize our dependence on activated carbon towers used throughout the collection system and at the plants The in- plant deodorant spray systems may also be minimized or possibly completely eliminated. The testing of this product will be ongoing through the beginning of 2008 with the obtainable goal of having the neighbors saying “Remember how FEV used to smell?

Those who have helped with this ongoing research have been Herm Thein, Manny Burgio, Steve Bland and Mary Merner, Sean Gibbons, Michelle Bowen, Gary Brown, Scott Gabel, Christy Goodrich, and Dave Lukas.

June 4, 2010

After the floods in May of 2010, Ryan Blackwell of Source Technologies had contacted Orgain Components.  Ryan stated that his company, contracted by the city of Clarksville would be here to treat standing water in the area.

Prior to Source Technologies coming in and treating the water, there was a terrible odor in the area. At times, if the wind was right you could smell the odor on Tiny Town Road. After Source Technologies came in and treated the standing water on our premises, the odor was gone and as of the date of this letter has not returned.

Sincerely,

J. Jeremy Robertson

Orgain Components

Plant Manager