An increase in sewage in the Centre Region along with other variables has led to this smelly problem.
And now the University Area Joint Authority has plans in place to fix it.
Some folks say living in the Centre Region stinks–literally.
Kent Baker, College Township Engineer, said “It’s like anything else, you don’t really appreciate fresh air unless you don’t have it.”
Baker said College Township is one of many in the area that receives complaints from residents about a stench stemming from the UAJA plant.
As the region continues to grow, the waste water treatment plant is sorting through more sewage than ever before.
And federal and state regulations for operations has changed over the years.
Cory Miller, Exec. Dir. of UAJA, said “It changed the characteristics of the sludge which changed the characteristics of our compost, which made everything smell worse and it overtaxed our existing odor control facility.”
Miller explained that the current facility isn’t built to handle the odor problems it’s creating.
The compost making the odor is filtering underground and seeping up through mulch on site and seasonal changes make it harder to control.
“No waste water treatment facility is ever going to be completely odor free,” Miller said.
But there’s a way to reduce the smell by about 95%.
Miller said a $10 million concrete facility can provide better moisture control.
That money will come from a portion of resident’s current monthly bills — but Miller said it won’t increase their current billing amount.
“I think it’s a good step, it’s worth the money,” Miller said.
“And I think in the long term, it’ll be a benefit ot the Centre Region,” Baker said.
Miller said the goal is to start construction in April and complete the project in one year