The state of New York has given conditional approval for the use of a chemical that helps eliminate odors from the Gloversville-Johnstown Wastewater Treatment Facility while improving plant efficiency in Johnstown, N.Y.
According to The Leader-Herald, final approval from the state Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) for use of potassium permanganate must wait until after more testing is done during the first quarter of 2019.
“We’re still going to do some testing,” said Wrandy Siarkowski, Gloversville-Johnstown joint sewer board chairman, to The Leader-Herald. “We thought it was over.”
The Contact Absorption Settling Thickening (CAST) system has tried to serve as the facility’s upgrade to how heavy industrial waste is treated. According to The Leader-Herald, the Union Avenue Extension facility underwent an $8 million CAST upgrade to treat waste byproducts several years ago. However, the upgraded CAST system has been unusable to certain months because it generates strong odors in the plant area.
Wallace Arnold, facility manager, told the board that the DEC review results of whole effluent toxicity for effluent samples. According to The Leader-Herald, Arnold said based on test results the DEC granted the facility “conditional approval” to use potassium permanganate in conjunction with the facility’s new CAST system.
According to The Leader-Herald, the facility spent millions of dollars in recent years to implement the CAST system only to find it created unacceptable odors at the plant spreading into parts of southern Johnstown. The system is needed to process large amounts of whey which comes mostly from top sewer plant customer FAGE USA. Officials have introduced smaller amounts of potassium permanganate into the system to cut down the odors, seeking permanent approval through the state.
Arnold told the board that the facility last odor complaint was in February, according to The Leader-Herald. During the first quarter of 2018, he reported that potassium permanganate was added to the wash water process mixing tank to mitigate odors and the system ran well.
The problem currently is the facility introducing the potassium permanganate into the system “by hand”, according to Siarkowski. The preferred method, according to him would be through a automatic mixer that costs tens of thousands of dollars. The board is waiting on the budgeting for the mixer until it receives final approval from the state, according to Siarkowski.
According to Arnold, he reported to the board that plans and specifications for the chemical injection system were submitted to DEC on Nov. 5. The facility must pass two toxicity WET tests before the final potassium permanganate approval can be given. According to The Leader-Herald, the tests are scheduled for January and March of 2019.