Waste Operations & Veolia, Wellington

Some aromas are nice to wake up to, like the smell of freshly-brewed coffee or newly-cut grass. Then there are others that aren’t so nice, like the smell of rubbish or sewage. Unfortunately, that’s an issue that some Wellingtonians who live near the city’s landfill deal with every day.

As reported in the Dominion Post on May 7, 2017, Wellington City Council and Veolia have been at loggerheads over responsibility for the foul smells being generated from thickened wastewater sludge produced by the Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant. Sewage all over Wellington flows to the treatment plant in Moa Point, where it’s separated, treated and (the non-contaminating parts) pumped out to sea. The sludge left over is thickened, then gets pumped to the Wellington landfill. There it’s dewatered further, and the solids end up in the landfill. .

The liquid waste  passes through a series of ‘black boxes’ which are meant to prevent the liquid from smelling like rotten eggs. The problem is, the black boxes have a five-year lifespan yet are now into their 15th year of operation, and according to Waste Operations landfill manager Darren Hoskins, are no longer fit for purpose. The odours coming from the process are horrendous, and the reason behind much public backlash and heated debate.

While WCC Waste Operations waits for Veolia, the company contracted to run the sewage plant until 2020, to replace the black boxes, biOx has provided a Spraystream odour suppression unit to help minimise the odours. The unit (which Waste Operations leased then purchased) sprays a deodoriser over the black boxes to suppress the offending septic smell being emitted. The dispute is ongoing because Waste Operations has financed the biOx Spraystream solution, despite the source of the problem being Veolia’s responsibility.

For a video of the unit operating at the Wellington Southern Landfill, click here. For more information about how biOx can help your business manage odour and dust issues, Contact us today!