Aug. 19--TRAVERSE CITY -- Odor problems from Traverse City's wastewater treatment plant are again raising a stink.

Residents and businesses near the sewer plant on the north end of Boardman Lake said they've noted a foul stench in the area on regular occasions in recent weeks, prompting city commissioners to briefly air the issue at their regular meeting Monday night. "Everybody has very much noticed it. Two people told me they've walked outside and were slammed with it," said Elizabeth Whelan, Boardman neighborhood president.

Both neighbors and city officials said the odor problems have been more frequent this summer. Depending on the wind direction, neighbors said the smell can be overpowering.

"It's actually a big problem because it comes into the kitchen here through the pipes and the vents," said Michelle Sibbald, an employee at Eurostop, a cafe on Railroad Place not far from the plant. Customers sometimes mention the bad smell when it's noticeable at the eatery, she said.

The sewer plant underwent a $30 million overhaul about five years ago, and two summers ago the city approved a $147,526 contract for odor control work on the plant. The odor work completed two years ago was done by Arms & Cole of Traverse City, headed by then-city Commissioner Scott Hardy, who said Tuesday he hasn't been contacted about the most recent complaints.

"We haven't had any calls, complaints or anything from the city or (plant operators)," Hardy said. "Sometimes, when it's really humid out, it's really difficult to keep some odors from getting out of there. And it's been pretty humid lately."

City commissioners are upset over the recurring odors.

"If we spent a whole bunch of money to improve the situation ... we need to go back and have them correct it," said Mayor Michael Estes, who requested a report from plant operators explaining the odors, which will be discussed at an upcoming meeting.

"It's not acceptable," Estes said.

Commissioner Ralph Soffredine said Monday that the stench has been bad since July and Commissioner Jody Bergman agreed.

"This summer, every single day, pretty much, I have noticed the same thing. It's not just faint, it's fairly strong," Bergman said. "It's been more than a few days. It's been weeks."

Scott Blair is project manager for CH2M Hill OMI, the private company that did the major plant renovations and operates it for the city through a $2.3 million yearly contract. The plant has done some maintenance work in recent weeks, activity that could result in odors escaping the site, he said.

The plant has mechanical and biological systems to turn sewage into clear effluent water, including ways to prevent the worst-smelling odors from blowing away, Blair said.

Some dredging work at the Sara Lee factory holding ponds on the other side of Boardman Lake could also be creating some odors in that area, Blair said. Sara Lee officials confirmed dredging work was conducted at the plant but said the work was completed in July.

"But my base assumption is it's us and we need to address it," Blair said.

Workers at the wastewater treatment plant have done maintenance work to the sprockets and chains inside a sediment removal unit, and inspected screw pumps that push water into a biological reactor. Both projects could have allowed foul odors to escape, Blair said.

"There can be and will be occasional maintenance issues," he said.

Blair won't deny there are possible leaks in the plant's air system, despite a complicated vacuum system designed to keep the foul air from escaping.

"I'm desperate to understand if something is escaping," he said. "If we're not there yet, we're still on it."

Work done two years ago included speed controls on air blowers and foul air duct work replacement, but just because work was done to improve odor control doesn't mean odors will never escape the plant, Blair said.

"There will always be issues that come up. I look at it as an ongoing process we commit to aggressively keep up with," he said.

Residents who encounter foul odors are asked to call the plant's odor hotline at 922-4921.

-----

To see more of The Record-Eagle or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.record-eagle.com/.

Copyright (c) 2009, The Record-Eagle, Traverse City, Mich.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

NYSE:SLE,

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.