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A NOSE for foul air at Cedar Creek

Suez implements new odor-control system at sewage treatment plant

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In an effort to stem foul odors coming from the Cedar Creek Sewage Treatment Plant, Suez Water has unveiled a new electronic system to detect and manage them.

New electronic sniffers have been installed around the plant, which sits below Cedar Creek Park at the Wantagh-Seaford border. If they detect any odors, the machines send the data to a computer, where Suez officials can review it. There are 10 sniffers scattered throughout the plant, including in the middle and along the perimeter.

The NOSE system — No Odors for Suez Environment — was developed by the company to monitor and control odor pollution around its facilities around the world. Michael Martino, spokesman for Suez Long Island, said the system was introduced within the last year at Cedar Creek.

Last year, Nassau County turned over the operation of its sewage treatment plants at Cedar Creek and Bay Park to United Water under a $58 million contract. The company then changed its name to Suez in November. Nassau County retains ownership of the sewer system.

Soon after the takeover, installation started on the odor-control system at both plants. As the information collected from the sniffers is transmitted to computers, Suez representatives can see where the odor is. If the company receives a complaint from a resident, staff will be able to provide answers, such as the direction an odor plume is heading, and what caused the smell.

“It factors in wind direction,” Martino said. “It factors in any variable that would impact or worsen odors. At the same time, it helps us better analyze what is going on.”

Martino said the most common smell that comes from a sewage treatment plant is hydrogen sulfide, a foul odor that resembles rotten eggs. And the most common reason that odors are emitted, he said, is because of some type of work being done at the plant. Interrupting the treatment process can cause an issue. For example, when the digesters are cleaned, Martino said, that will typically create a smell. Digesters are large tanks that hold sewage as it is treated with a biological process.

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