Residents of Atlantic Beach who have been wrinkling their noses due to unpleasant scents wafting through the air can expect some reprieve. The city officials have acknowledged the stench emanating from the Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) and have vowed to combat the issue, taking steps to ensure fresher air sweeps through the community once more.
As a response to the raised concerns, the initial investigation by the City's engineering and public utilities departments identified a replacement of the headworks piping as one culprit, which caused a temporary but necessarily diversion of raw sewage, leading to several weeks of odor issues. According to a statement obtained by the City of Atlantic Beach, a "preliminary action plan" is already in action to address to directly tackle various potential sources of odors at the facility.
The action plan includes a diverse set of strategies. Lightweight screen covers will be installed over influent screens, and existing Bio-Air filters will be reconnected. The Centrifuge Building will soon see an inspection and potential upgrade of the Bio-Air filter to better mitigate odors. In the Davco Biosolids Processing Facility, efforts will concentrate on removing septic waste and biosolids, in addition to improving air distribution. Fencing will be constructed both around the dumpster area, to curtail airflow, and behind the drying beds, where immediate covering of solids with lime has been mandated to minimize odor release.
Furthermore, as part of the plan, the City of Atlantic Beach is now to permanently cease using the drying beds closest to Donner Road, and the frequency of cleaning under the influent screens will be ramped up. Explorations into the use of peroxide injection are underway, and an operational adjustment will see return activated sludge being pumped to the influent splitter box during the sludge wasting process. Trucks involved in sludge transport will also be cleaned off-site to prevent odors lingering next to residential areas.
