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Odorous air is captured from various unit processes and conveyed to three packed tower wet scrubbers and one biological media scrubber that provide odor control.

LET US KNOW:

• The location where you notice the smell (address or nearest intersection)
• The date and time of the offensive odor
• The type of odor and any other description/information that may be useful

Odor Complaint Form

We treat an average of 46 million gallons (MGD) of wastewater a day that comes to the plant from area homes and businesses via the city sewer system which sends it to HRSD pump stations that bring the wastewater to ATP. We are authorized by Virginia Department of Environmental Quality permit to discharge up to 54 MGD average daily flows, with a maximum flow of 135 MGD, from our plant. The wastewater is processed via the conventional wastewater treatment process, where we use physical, chemical, and biological treatment processes to clean the water. This process removes and collects the organic solids which are further processed separately using a process called thermal hydrolysis (THP) which sterilizes the solids and reduces the thickness. The solids then go through a process called digestion for further treatment, resulting in a Class A biosolids. We also capture the gas from the digestion process and use it for heating and energy at the treatment plant.

The Atlantic Treatment Plant serves most of Virginia Beach and parts of Norfolk and Chesapeake as seen below:

The Atlantic Treatment Plant began receiving additional wastewater flow from our now decommissioned Chesapeake-Elizabeth Treatment Plant (CETP), which was operational until December 2021. The CETP needed significant and costly upgrades to meet new regulatory requirements, so the decision was made to upgrade the HRSD collection system and convey the wastewater to the ATP for treatment. ATP had capacity for the additional flow but required an upgrade to the solids processing. HRSD selected thermal hydrolysis technology (THP) for solids processing for several reasons, including biosolids dewatering improvements, better stackability on the storage pads, and increased digester capacity. This was implemented simultaneously as system changes were made to bring flow from CETP to ATP.

ATP staff continue to be responsive to odor and other nuisance complaints, and the HRSD Technical Services Division also continues to dedicate time to tracking down odor sources. Several projects are currently in design that will address the odors at their sources.  More details about these projects can be found in the “Overview” section of this page. A narrated presentation provides more details on odor improvement plans, along with timeline information for near and long-term improvements being made.

The Atlantic Treatment Plant was commissioned in July 1983 on what was once an old hog farm which was, at that time, a much less populated area of Virginia Beach. The community has grown around the plant considerably since then, and HRSD strives to provide effective wastewater treatment and recover natural resources while at the same time being a good neighbor to the Ocean Lakes and surrounding communities we serve.

From a health perspective, there is no scientific basis to support the premise that odors which emanate from the Atlantic Treatment Plant present any risk to public health or are otherwise unsafe at detected concentrations. Our chemical specific monitoring measured directly from the process units coupled with odor dispersion modeling has identified that the most common compounds responsible for offsite odors (and their odor descriptors) are as follows: hydrogen sulfide (rotten eggs), methyl mercaptan (rotten cabbage), dimethyl sulfide (decayed cabbage), and dimethyl disulfide (garlic). These compounds can be detectable at low concentrations. This evaluation indicates that under worst case meteorological conditions which result in the highest off-site odors, the odors are diluted a minimum of 71 times from the origin of the odor. Though our employees work in and around these unit processes safely each day, we recognize that offsite odors can have a quality-of-life impact. This is why we are investing over $75M in odor control improvements. For broader information about environmental odors, visit these Virginia Department of Health FAQs.

HRSD has an odor complaint response team that investigates odor complaints with the goal of identifying and addressing the sources of odors around HRSD infrastructure. We utilize data such as meteorological conditions and odor descriptors and often send field staff to the location to provide a qualitative assessment of the odor level on a 0 – 5 scale and to trace back to the suspected source. Field staff also carry a handheld instrument to monitor hydrogen sulfide levels when they are investigating odor complaints, as hydrogen sulfide tends to be a more common odorant from wastewater facilities. We are aware that hydrogen sulfide is not the only odorant creating off-site odors from our Atlantic facility. Descriptors of the odors help us narrow down the source and take corrective action where possible.

The trucks entering the Atlantic Treatment Plant provide several services:

• Delivery of chemicals and solutions necessary for effective wastewater treatment
• Tank trucks bringing septage (waste material from septic tanks) or fats, oil and grease (FOG) from local homes and businesses that require treatment
• Biosolids are also hauled away from the plant during the spring planting season (approximately eight weeks) for use as fertilizer and are land applied to area farms

The wastewater treatment process uses bacteria that feed on the material in wastewater and break it down into harmless organic matter. This organic matter settles out of the water and receives further treatment to form biosolids which are rich in nutrients and organic matter. All wastewater treatment plants produce residual solids, and the biosolids produced at the Atlantic Treatment Plant meet the highest quality designation set forth by the EPA. Biosolids have been thoroughly researched by top scientists at leading scientific institutions all over the world. They have been found to be safe to human health and the environment when processed and applied properly. The U.S. EPA and the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality have established regulations that ensure the safe use of biosolids. The Virginia Biosolids Council provides additional resources for more information, including these Health and Safety Facts.

During the spring for approximately eight weeks, HRSD biosolids are hauled to area farms for use as fertilizer during the planting season. This activity is done under a permit by the Department of Environmental Quality.

The biosolids being hauled from the Atlantic Treatment Plant for land application on area farms are classified as Class A Exceptional Quality biosolids and are considered pathogen free. The THP process used at the plant allows us to achieve this high standard of pathogen control, so this material is no different from what you might purchase at a home and garden center for your own lawn, garden or flower beds. Class A Exceptional Quality biosolids are marketed for home use throughout the country. The below links from the Environmental Protection Agency and the Virginia Biosolids Council provide more information about biosolids, including their availability to residential consumers.

www.epa.gov/biosolids/basic-information-about-biosolids

www.virginiabiosolids.com/an-odor-reminder-epas-research/