Wastewater Treatment Division

Odor Control

The City and County of Broomfield protects public health and the environment by treating the community wastewater through the state-of-the-art 12 million gallon-per-day treatment facility.  While wastewater in its natural state produces various odors, the City and County policy is to be a good neighbor by minimizing odors as a part of the normal operation of the wastewater treatment facility. The treatment plant is continuously monitored for odor releases and issues are responded to in the following ways:

• Add chemicals or biological enzymes at certain points in our collection system prior to the wastewater treatment facility
• Treat odors using a biofilter with an odor removal efficiency of approximately 96%. In addition, the H2S removal efficiency is above 99%. The biofilter is significantly reducing the potential odorous emissions from the process air being collected and treated.
• Add ferric chloride to wastewater entering the treatment plant to reduce hydrogen sulfide concentrations and generation
• Continually explore solutions to odor issues
• Odor Reporting Hotline: 303.438.6282
• Online Odor Report Form
• Respond quickly to citizen complaints. The Wastewater Treatment Division makes every effort to respond to odor complaints promptly and effectively.

Odor control devices

• Biological Treatment - Foul air is passed through a biologically active filter bed where bacteria digest contaminants and neutralize odors.
• Chemical Addition to the Wastewater Flow - Ferric chloride is added directly to the incoming flow of wastewater. The ferric chloride reduces hydrogen sulfide formation and begins to neutralize odors.
• Contained Facilities - Several processes at the treatment facility are enclosed in buildings and/or with surface covers. The air is treated through the biofilter before it's released into the environment.

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