Burlington, Ia (The Hawk Eye)- The Burlington Waste Water Treatment Facility is working on a plan to help with odor control.
The Burlington Wastewater Treatment Facility is located along the Mississippi River at the bottom of a bluff.
The Hawk Eye reports that the bluff tends to protect the houses above the facility from the smell. However, when the wind is blowing just right, the smell can permeate the downtown.
When it comes to what causes the smell, the most influential thing is the amount of clean water running through the sanitary pipes. With about a third of Burlington’s sewers still combined, a significant amount of rainwater flows through the sewers and helps to lessen the bad smell.
However, when the sewer separation project has finished the smell from the facility will get worse.
The city is working on a project to fix the smell. The project would cover most of the vents of water with covers. The project is estimated to cost about $500,000, though the true cost won’t be known until bids come back.
