Sludge Watch ==> Tampa FL - Sewage Plant Malfunction - sludge stinks up Davis Islands

[Maureen Reilly]

Sludgewatch Admin:

Here is a confused story.
It states that the Tampa sludge is normally 'palletized'....do they mean 
pelletized?
Then it says it started to stink on the solar drying pad.

So is it dried into little pellets with heat or is it 'solar dried' - ?
Solar drying is not an approved Class A pathogen reduction process under the 
Part 503 regs.

What gives?

..............................

Sewer Plan Malfunction Wafts Stench To Davis Islands
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Published: May 23, 2007

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TAMPA - Malfunctioning equipment at the city's sewage treatment plant caused 
a weeklong stink for Davis Islands residents.

A sludge digester at the Howard F. Curren Wastewater Treatment Plant on 
Hookers Point broke down May 14 and had to be emptied so repairs could be 
made, said Ralph Metcalf, Tampa's wastewater director. Sludge is the solid 
component of sewage. The digester uses microscopic organisms to break down 
the sludge. The water is squeezed out, and the dried product is palletized 
for use as fertilizer.

Metcalf said the drained sludge was not thoroughly digested by the organisms 
when it was placed in the open on drying beds. "Normally this stuff would 
dry quickly in this weather," he said. "But it was thicker than anticipated. 
The winds out of the northeast provided the perfect conditions to get it 
over there."

Sewage treatment employees waited until the end of the week to apply 
chemicals to cut the smell, Metcalf said. Residents started complaining as 
the smell hung heavy through Monday night.

"We should have done something before the people started complaining," 
Metcalf said. "Frankly, we dropped the ball on that."

Mike Salinero
http://www.tbo.com/news/metro/MGBYSQK112F.html