Sanitation Districts' Odor Control Measures Receive Statewide Award.

WHITTIER, Calif. -- The Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County's (Districts) Joint Water Pollution Control Plant (JWPCP) was awarded the 2006 California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) Technical Achievement Award for odor control.

The award recognized the most recent in a series of new odor control facilities at JWPCP. The four major projects include odor control for the solids handling facilities, flat aluminum covers on all primary treatment tanks and channels, a central odor control facility, and a skimmings odor control system. The Districts have a long-standing goal of being a good neighbor to the community surrounding the JWPCP. As a part of that goal, the District invested over $70 million in these four odor control projects.

"Odor control at our wastewater treatment plants is a high priority," stated Jim Stahl, Districts Chief Engineer and General Manager. "The most challenging areas are the solids processing and primary treatment facilities."

The JWPCP treats an average flow of 320 million gallons per day (MGD) and processes the solids from a service population of over 5 million people. Population density around the JWPCP presents significant challenges in terms of odor control. There are over 20,000 homes and businesses within a mile of the plant boundaries, making odor control at this essential public facility a huge priority.

The Technological Achievement Award recognizes the efforts of an individual agency in the application of existing technology or the development of new technology applied to facilities such as the JWPCP. Technologies that are extremely innovative and/or which have broad application to others in the industry are given special consideration for the award.

The mission of CASA is to provide proactive leadership, innovative solutions, and timely education and information to CASA members, legislators, and the public, and to promote partnerships on wastewater issues with other organizations, so that sound public health and environmental goals may be achieved.

The Districts provide environmentally sound, cost effective wastewater and solid waste management for over half the population of Los Angeles County, and in doing so take what others had thought of as waste and turn it into resources such as reclaimed water, energy, and recycled materials. The Districts are a partnership of 24 independent special districts serving 78 of the 88 cities in Los Angeles County and unincorporated territory. The Districts construct, operate, and maintain facilities to collect, treat, recycle, and dispose of wastewater. The Sanitation Districts also provide for the management of solid wastes including disposal, transfer operations, and materials recovery.