Addressing recent odour concerns in the town’s southeast

By Carla Kautz Communication Specialist, Town of Strathmore

The town is working with its partners on a solution to address the odour concerns from residents and business owners reported recently in the Parkview, Green Meadows, downtown and Ranch areas. The town has determined the source of the odour appears to be related to biosolids at the Huxted Waste and Recycle centre.
What are biosolids?
Biosolids are a by-product of treating wastewater. They are nutrient-rich organic materials containing essential plant nutrients that can be easily recycled through composting for use as fertilizer and soil amendment – keeping reusable material out of our landfills.
EPCOR is contracted by the town to manage the water supply and distribution, sanitary and storm water collection, and wastewater treatment. In 2010, the wastewater treatment facility in Strathmore was upgraded to a new biological nutrient removal (BNR) process, which removes nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater. The treated water is then safe to release back into the environment. The by-products of this process are biosolids, which are a beneficial resource.
In 2015, the Town of Strathmore partnered with Huxted Waste and Recycle to form a biosolids recycling pilot project – composting the biosolids locally to develop a sustainable material for use as fertilizer in surrounding agriculture, nurseries, gardens, etc. Developing the fertilizer locally is a cost effective and green method of managing the biosolids.
Why is there an odour?
After an in-depth review and air quality monitoring, the town concluded that this specific odour was coming from one of the static, biosolids composting piles located at the Huxted Waste and Recycle centre.
Facility operators at Huxted Waste and Recycle then dug into the static pile to discover that aeration pipes, critical in the composting process, had malfunctioned. This, in combination with variability in biosolids from the Wastewater Treatment Plant (a wetter than usual by-product from EPCOR but still within appropriate operating parameters) caused a breakdown in the composting process – the pile had overheated and turned. The odour was a direct result.
The solution
Once the cause of the odour was discovered the team worked quickly to develop a solution. Huxted has taken responsibility for the conflicts in the process. Operators at the facility have fixed the aeration pipes. They are currently breaking down the turned pile, allowing for easier management of the compost. They are also integrating biofilters, commonly used to treat foul airstreams, and a neutralizer spray to significantly reduce the odour.
EPCOR will continue to maintain top quality biosolids, to allow for composting, and communicate any wetter than usual biosolids so Huxted can adjust their process.
In the interim, the town will temporarily truck the biosolids to an alternative location in the metro Calgary area, allowing Huxted to address the on-site composting process and efficiently manage the turned pile. This is also beneficial as the Town of Strathmore is required by Alberta Environment to have a secondary site for relocating biosolids.
It is important to note both Alberta Environment and Occupational Health and Safety performed site inspections of the Huxted Waste and Recycling compost yard in the fall of 2017. The town also conducted air quality tests throughout Strathmore which concluded that test conditions were within government regulations.
What to do if you smell odours?
The Town of Strathmore wishes to thank residents and business owners for their patience as Huxted works to implement the solution and abide by the land lease agreement. The town continues to monitor the situation and encourages the public to submit any odour issues by completing a detailed Citizen Communication Form found on the Town of Strathmore website.