Sustainable Odor Control: What's in your Gas

In response to population growth adjacent to the Drake Water Reclamation Facility (DWRF), the City of Fort Collins initiated an odor study to determine the impacts from the plant and identify possible odor mitigation alternatives. Subsequently, numerous technologies were evaluated based on criteria which included sustainability, constructability, and a chemical-free operation. The City's design-build team, consisting of the contractor, engineer, and DWRF staff representatives, collaborated and selected a compost/woodchip biofilter as the most suitable technology for use. Two sets of biofilters were installed in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Since the commissioning of the biofilters, the City has tracked its performance and found that operation parameters differed from the initial design projections. This report and presentation will describe the odor study and evaluation process, as well as the biofilter design and operation. A key focus, and of direct importance to other facilities located in dry climates, will be the operational challenges and knowledge gained by DWRF staff in maintaining and optimizing the biofilters' performance.