MONROE - An ongoing battle to mitigate the smell wafting from the Monroe Wastewater Treatment Plant has been plaguing city staff for years, but a new plan on the horizon may help significantly reduce the odor.
In early November 2015, six-sided discs called Hexa-Cover Floating Cover were dumped into the plant's equalization tank as part of initial plans to address the issue after the recent reconstruction of the wastewater facility. The discs were meant to simply float on top of the liquid, blocking UV rays to limit the growth of algae and reduce evaporation and emission by 95 percent. At that point, a chemical was also being considered to help reduce the smell.
Utilities Supervisor Mike Kennison said actions have been taken to expand on those plans.
"We toured three different plants with three different odor control systems," Kennison said, noting that what stuck out to him was that "they all work."
Workers visited treatment facilities in Kaukauna, Neenah and Germantown.
Because odor is caused by unique combinations of bacteria and plant life within these types of tanks, Monroe still needs to identify the best option for its treatment plant.
In the meantime, the city has also been feeding the chemical ferric chloride into the tank to reduce the smell, but Kennison noted the chemical and the Hexa-Cover are only a temporary remedy.
"I can't believe they didn't help somewhat," Kennison said. "In the winter months, it's not as bad. It's when we have those warm months for an extended amount of time that it becomes pretty noticeable."
The city hired Neenah-based McMahon Associates Inc. in July to produce an engineering solution to the issue. According to a memo released by Director of Public Works Al Gerber to Mayor Louis Armstrong and the Monroe Common Council, an odor control study consisted of samplings within the equalization tank.
Kennison said identifying the exact composition of the tanks will help decide which plan would be most effective. A permanent odor control plan was identified in the memo.
A final report is expected to be complete by the end of October "and the City will have information to make an informed decision regarding which system is best," the memo stated.
Once the council considers the options presented to them, Kennison said staff will pursue offers for work to be done, create a final design, obtain permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and then install the new odor-control method.
With approval, Kennison said construction would happen over the summer and equipment would begin operation in late fall next year.
In early November 2015, six-sided discs called Hexa-Cover Floating Cover were dumped into the plant's equalization tank as part of initial plans to address the issue after the recent reconstruction of the wastewater facility. The discs were meant to simply float on top of the liquid, blocking UV rays to limit the growth of algae and reduce evaporation and emission by 95 percent. At that point, a chemical was also being considered to help reduce the smell.
Utilities Supervisor Mike Kennison said actions have been taken to expand on those plans.
"We toured three different plants with three different odor control systems," Kennison said, noting that what stuck out to him was that "they all work."
Workers visited treatment facilities in Kaukauna, Neenah and Germantown.
Because odor is caused by unique combinations of bacteria and plant life within these types of tanks, Monroe still needs to identify the best option for its treatment plant.
In the meantime, the city has also been feeding the chemical ferric chloride into the tank to reduce the smell, but Kennison noted the chemical and the Hexa-Cover are only a temporary remedy.
"I can't believe they didn't help somewhat," Kennison said. "In the winter months, it's not as bad. It's when we have those warm months for an extended amount of time that it becomes pretty noticeable."
The city hired Neenah-based McMahon Associates Inc. in July to produce an engineering solution to the issue. According to a memo released by Director of Public Works Al Gerber to Mayor Louis Armstrong and the Monroe Common Council, an odor control study consisted of samplings within the equalization tank.
Kennison said identifying the exact composition of the tanks will help decide which plan would be most effective. A permanent odor control plan was identified in the memo.
A final report is expected to be complete by the end of October "and the City will have information to make an informed decision regarding which system is best," the memo stated.
Once the council considers the options presented to them, Kennison said staff will pursue offers for work to be done, create a final design, obtain permits from the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources and then install the new odor-control method.
With approval, Kennison said construction would happen over the summer and equipment would begin operation in late fall next year.