Rollout and Application of The Water Environment Research Foundation (WERF) Biosolids Odor-Reduction Roadmap Tool

Over the past decade, the Water Environment Research Federation (WERF) has sponsored a multi-phased research project tackling the biosolids odors issues. The focus of the research has been on identification and reduction of odors from anaerobically digested and dewatered biosolids, since those unit processes represent the large majority of biosolids generated andprocessed at North American wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs).The WERF biosolids-odor research has been conducted over the past decade in a number of phases that are described in the Introduction and Background. A number of potential measures for reducing biosolids odors were identified and described in connection with the research. WERF decided that it would be useful to develop a web-based tool that would help practitioners to identify and access those portions of the wide body of research findings that could address their specific issues regarding biosolids odors.The biosolids odor research findings can be grouped into two major areas and opportunities for biosolids odor management:(1) deas that can be practiced as part of the design of new WWTPs, design of new unit processes for existing WWTPs, or the design modifications to existing processes; or(2) Ideas that would involve modifying process operations at an operating WWTP, either by adjusting operational parameters of processes or equipment, or via chemical addition.Weaving the findings of all phases of the biosolids odor reduction research, the Biosolids Odor-Reduction Roadmap encompasses solutions beyond use of odor scrubbing or masking agents, as it incorporates a cradle-to-grave biosolids odor management approach – from WWTP headworks to the biosolids cake storage/beneficial use site.The Biosolids Odor-Reduction Roadmap has been applied to a real-world biosolids odor challenge at a large WWTP, the highlights of which are presented herein as a case study.