Miami-Dade County-Wide Treatment Plant Emissions Review

The Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department (Department) operates three wastewater treatment facilities (the South, Central, and North District plants) each treating approximately 100 to 140 MGD dry weather flow. South Florida is one of the fastest growing areas in the nation with extensive residential and commercial construction in all areas of Miami-Dade County. The South District plant has experienced rapid and high-density, low rise residential construction coming within a few hundred feet of the facility. The Central District Facility is located in the heart of the pristine Biscayne Bay and is adjacent to an island development of luxury residences. At the North District plant, two new high rise residential condominium towers are under construction directly overlooking the facility. Although all three facilities have odor control systems, the rapid encroachment of urban development has changed the surrounding landscape with regard to the number and intensity of odor receptors.The Department recognized the need to proactively assess the impact of emissions from the facilities to the surrounding development. In addition, increased regulatory policy and neighbor pressure at all three facilities made an emission review imperative. The Department set out to conduct a comprehensive review of odors and emission treatment at all three facilities as well as portions of the collection system that includes nine lift stations and a 60” gravity interceptor. Review at the facilities included the following:Inventory and operational condition of all existing emissions treatment systems;Sampling program for all potential odorous emission sources at each facility including emissions quantification and speciation;Assessment of potential impacts to the surrounding community at each plant including background sampling, fate and atmospheric modeling;Assessment of acceptable odor concentrations surrounding the plants; andDetermination of the ability of current odor control systems to meet odor goals and the required updating and possible additions to the systems including SCADA upgrades and technology changes.