CWEA and SARBS One-Day Training June 5, Public Complaints. Carla D. Dillon, D.P.A., P.E. Orange County Sanitation District

Transcription

1 CWEA and SARBS One-Day Training June 5, 2013 Odor Control: Managing Public Complaints Carla D. Dillon, D.P.A., P.E. Engineering Supervisor Orange County Sanitation District

2 A Tale of Two Countries: Odor Complaints in the US and NZ

3 Outline OCSD Background NZ WWTP & Odor Background TheOdor Complaint Experience General Best Practices

4 OCSD Background

5 Orange County Sanitation District Two 100 acre Facilities Reclamation Plant No. 1 Fountain Valley Treatment Plant No. 2 Huntington Beach

6 OCSD Regional System 572 miles of sewers 15 lift stations 2 treatment plants P1 96 mgd P2 103 mgd 199 total mgd La Habra Brea Fullerton Buena Park Placentia La Palma Cypress Anaheim Villa Park Los Stanton Alamitos Orange Garden Grove Westminster Seal Beach Santa Ana Tustin Fountain Valley Yorba Linda Anaheim Pacific Ocean Huntington Costa Beach Mesa Newport Beach Irvine Ocean Pipeline

7 ODOR CONTROL PROGRAM HISTORY 1980 s: Odor Abatement Study Sodium Hydroxide Slug-dosing Application Scrubbers 1990 s: In-depth Characterization Liquid Treatment Optimization Corrosion Studies of the Collection System 2000 s: Odor Control Master Plan Continuous Dosing Odor Analyses non-h 2 S

8 Treatment Plant Approach Vapor Phase Treatment Cover and capture, cover Biological scrubbers Chemical scrubbers Biofilters Liquid Phase Treatment Hydrogen Peroxide Ferric chloride Others secondary benefit

9 Collection System Approach Treatment Plants Continuous Dosing Station Ferrous chloride Calcium nitrate Magnesium hydroxide

10 New Zealand s Wastewater Treatment Plants & Odor Background

11 Sites Visited

12 Factors Affecting the Odor Complaint Experience

13 Factors Affecting One Odor Complaint Experience Governing Board Agency Staff Customer Odor Complaint Experience

14 Influences The Regulatory Environment

15 AQMD Rule 402 and California Health and Safety Code Nuisance + Numeric vapor limits for air quality

16 Regulatory NZ Resource Management Act Consents to discharge Negotiation process Intent of non prescriptive laws No discernible odors Guide from government

17 Regulatory NZ Often no numeric vapor emission requirements No discernible odors Guide from government Expect carbon tax soon for landfilling Cease land application for beneficial reuse: In transition

18 Influences The Public

19 Neighbors

20 Public General Perceptions

21 Public Outreach

22 Public Outreach

23 Public Outreach

24 Maori Culture Water is a treasure (taonga) Abhorrence of direct discharge of human waste to natural waters WW must pass through land Biosolids cannot pass in front of houses and wahi tapu

25 Cultural Impact Biosolids & effluent Tribes want to be engaged in plans After dialog, some accept secondary treatment processes as passing through land Ceremony to dedicate WWTP with symbolic rocks

26 Influences The Governing Board

27 Support from Above Board of Directors Mission Vision Core Values 5 Year Strategic Plan Goals Level of Service Assessment of Risks Annual Business Plans Business Accountability Charters Staffing Plan Financial Plan Facilities Master Plan Asset Management Plan

28 Goals and Level of Service Environmental Stewardship Business Principle Wastewater Management Workplace Environment

29 Wastewater Management Actionable Goals for Odor Control Complete odor control capital improvement projects in Fiscal Year Plant 1 trickling filter odor control Plant 2 new odor facility at solids loading facility Design all new projects to retain odor within property Design all new projects to retain odor within property boundaries

30 Environmental Stewardship OCSD will be a Good Neighbor Odor Control Levels of Service Odor compliant response Target Treatment plants within 1 hour 100% Collections system within 1 day 100% Number of odor complaints Reclamation Plant No. 1 *0* under Treatment Plant No. 2 normal conditions Collections System 34 Respond to collections system spills p y p within 1 hour 100%

31 Key Issues Risk Costs Timeline Impacts to home communities What the Public Wants

32 Odor Control Governing Board No discernible odors Staged approach for odor Have bought land and create buffer zones Contractual implications Guide from government

33 Influences Agency Staff Importance for Agency Representatives to

34 Understand and relay when another source is the cause

35 Advocate for and design facilities that t minimize i i odors

36 Understand expectations and No discernible odors Staged approach for odor control design Suppliers give lower odor units than reality; consultants give higher Risk matrix Usually 0.1 ppb H 2 S 18 ppb TRS respond

37 Trained, competent, and innovative Treatment Optimization

38 Receptive to all influences Odor Complaint Response Trained noses Odor performance tied to contract Odor Management Plan We are here to treat odors not wastewater

39 Influences One Customer Odor Complaint Experience

40 Odor Hotline Complaints to Control Center Historic Handwritten Reports

41 All Complaints Processed Online Call Center Request allcall the hotline (714) Logged in by anyone receiving complaint into call center Everyone shares and tracks information

42 Complaint Process

43 Call Center Complaints Access to Information

44 Workflow Streamlining Notification

45 Review of Data

46 Review Recurrence & Frequency

47 Tracking Performance Metrics

48 Odor Complaint Experience NZ Customer service People first Qualified sniffers Staff check processes Plant Manager and Gov. contract manager notified and respond Reporting Contractual Penalties

49 General Best Practices for Maintaining Good PR Despite BO

50 Dillon s Top Ten 10. Keep records of complaints. 9. Work cooperatively with regulators and other agencies. 8. Put specific people in charge of specific activities. iti 7. Don t call it The Complaint Department 6. Keep a good attitude about complaints.

51 Dillon s Top Ten 5. Apologize for the problem. 4. Talk to concerned citizens about the actions, not the obstacles. 3. Follow through and follow up. 2. If responsible, fix the problem. 1. The customer is always (or usually) right!

52 Acknowledgements American Public Works Association INGENIUM Jennifer Cabral, Orange County Sanitation District Mark Holstad, Albuquerque Bernalillo County Water Utility Authority

53 Questions? Carla Dillon (714)