Issue link: http://frankenmuthcvb.uberflip.com/i/1508550
11 The City is proud of the fact that, for the most part, no one thinks about where waste goes when it goes down the drain or the toilet. The fact that residents and businesses don't have to worry means that we are doing something right. There is a science and an art to treating sewage in the City and while the end result is clean water, the process can literally stink. Mark Schluckebier, WRRF Superintendent explained "The mission of the Water Resource Recovery Facility is to provide the community with safe, reliable wastewater treatment and to ensure that the Cass River and all connected waterways are safe and clean for all users." Every day (holidays and weekends included) the WRRF is staffed and supervised. The plant processes nearly 1 million gallons of wastewater per day. The very nature and process of treating organic waste generates odors. The way in which the organic waste is cleaned and treated; odor is a natural byproduct. This summer, the WRRF installed an odor eater designed not to mask the smell but to neutralize it. The new system is a simple series of hoses mounted on the digesters and maintenance building. A digester houses the "solids" that settle out during the treatment process and if you think about the solids in raw sewage, you can appreciate why the digester can be the most offensive part of the treatment process. Digestion of these solids is a biological stabilization process that occurs between a controlled temperature of 95 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit and takes about 20 days to complete. The new odor control is connected to City water, filtered, and then a deodorizing chemical is sprayed out in a mist above and near the digesters. While the process is still being monitored and adjusted, the system currently is designed to run for twenty minutes, then shut off for ten minutes, daily from morning until evening during warm weather. The deodorizer (a clean linen scent) is supplied from State Chemical out of Mayfield Heights, OH. Mike Olson, the WRRF Assistant Superintendent stated that he hopes this "Helps business investments, promotes future growth, and makes Frankenmuth a better place to live and visit". If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Water Resource Recovery Facility or the Odor Control Elimination System, contact 989-652-3445 or email mschluckebier@frankenmuthcity.com. By Bridget Smith, Frankenmuth C ity Manager A DIFFERENT KIND OF ODOR EATER A DIFFERENT KIND OF ODOR EATER