Project Number:

2200

East Fitchburg Wastewater Treatment Plant

SERVICE:

Comprehensive Response to Notice of Noncompliance

DESCRIPTION:

The City of Fitchburg's wastewater treatment plant hired Tech Environmental to help the facility respond to a Notice of Noncompliance from the Massachusetts DEP. The plant experien­ced a series of significant odor events that impacted the nearby community, and was struggling to stay within its opacity requirements. The facility's neighbors conflated the two issues, attributing the odors to the visible emissions from the regenerative thermal oxidizer (RTO) stack, and demanded a solution.

Tech performed an exhaustive odor study of the facility. Samples were collected and emissions were estimated in order to develop a baseline of the facility's actual emissions. The study revealed that there were significant problems with clogging of the RTO, leading to the opacity concerns, and that the true odor problems were due to an excess of particulate in the air pollution control train of the sludge incinerator unit, not from the stack output. The sludge incinerator was not meeting permit and/or typical design parameters for the wet electrostatic precipitator (wet ESP) and the RTO. The system was not properly balanced and there were cover leakage problems that led to asymmetrical air draws.

The project team examined the system and the study results and developed a set of alternative options that would allow the facility to improve particulate capture, reduce head loss through the system, prevent the RTO from clogging, and allow proper residence time in order to ensure combustion of PICs (products of incomplete combustion).

Tech assisted in negotiations with the Central Region of the MassDEP and helped Fitchburg to obtain a Consent Order. Subsequently, Tech completed the Title V Operating Permit application for the facility, examined fugitive dust control from the ash handling operations, and assisted with odor control improvements.

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Key Points

  • The City of Fitchburg received a Notice of Noncompliance for its wastewater plant from MassDEP.
  • Tech assisted in negotiations with MassDEP, worked to improve odor and dust control, and prepared permit applications for the the facility.