Some of the comments that our county Commissioners made at the latest DCLPOA meeting:
1. Odor on Lake Shore Drive. I was not aware that the odor was again a problem at this location or any other station. The County has taken preventative measures and invested capital into control (not totally eliminating) this. Here is more detail about how this is controlled:
Odor Control
The Deep Creek Lake sewage collection system is predominately a series of pressure sewers and force mains, with a few areas of conventional gravity collection lines, that transport wastewater via seventeen major pumping stations to the wastewater treatment plant located on Mayhew Inn Road. The collection system consists of approximately 40 miles of pipeline and is essentially a closed system except at major pumping station wet wells, at points of discharge into gravity sewer segments, and at air release valves.
Since the spring of 1985, the Garrett County Sanitary District/Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has been addressing sewer gas odors. Odorous conditions are caused primarily by the generation of hydrogen sulfide from sulfate compounds naturally occurring in domestic sewage. Odors are created when oxygen levels are depleted in the wastewater due to naturally occurring bacteriological action and hydrosulfide is converted from a liquid form to hydrogen sulfide gas. Anaerobic bacteria which grow in slime coatings inside sewer pipelines also reduce sulfates to sulfide to obtain oxygen for metabolic processes.
There are three basic approaches to correction of hydrogen sulfide odor problems – masking, removal and prevention. Masking entails the addition of deodorant chemicals to hide the odor; removal is generally accomplished by adsorption into activated carbon; and prevention is accomplished by maintenance of aerobic conditions in the collection system and retardation of slime growth.
Since system initiation, DPU has tested and utilized numerous methods for odor control including:
- *Activated Carbon Canisters at the major pump stations and treatment plant
- *Injection of Hydrogen Peroxide
- *Injection of Potassium Permanganate
- *Injection of Ferric Chloride
- *Installation of Iron Oxide & Wood Chip Media Filters at major pump stations and air release vaults
- *Injection of Sodium Hypochlorite
- *Injection of Caustic Soda (Sodium Hydroxide)
- *Sealing of infrastructure with a silicone caulking
- *Installation of rubber seals on major pump station vault lids
- *Installation of waterless vapor odor control units utilizing odor neutralization products
- *Citrus based floating degreaser in major pump stations
- *Citrus based air enhancing products
- *Injection of an iron enriched mixture to bind water phase sulfides in the collection system
- *Injection of a naturally-occurring, non-pathogenic bacteria that changes the biofilm in the collection system to reduce noxious and corrosive gas production
- *Installation of dry-chemical media scrubber units
We are currently utilizing the iron oxide and wood chip media filters, seals on pump station vault lids, citrus based air enhancing products, and the dry-chemical media scrubber units. The recently added dry-chemical media scrubber units capture the odorous air being emitted from the system and permanently remove gases from the air through chemisorption. During this instantaneous process, gases are adsorbed, absorbed and captured throughout the entire volume of the media. The gases are then chemically transformed into harmless solids that remain trapped inside the media.
DPU has also retrofitted the influent piping in the major pump stations to minimize turbulence in order to inhibit release of odorous gases and installed odor logging units that continuously sample and record the levels of odorous gases in the system.
All major pump stations are manually checked on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and weekends. In order to manually view the sewage levels in the pump station vaults and to break up any mat that forms on top of the wastewater or to perform any maintenance on the pumping system, the vault lids must be opened which will allow gases to escape from the vault when open. Once maintenance procedures are completed, personnel are instructed to close and secure vault lids.
2. Public Hearing on September 24, 2013 that will allow pubic commentary on request for a permit for commercial personal watercraft by Bill Meagher. The Board of County Commissioners will take all public commentary including that of Mr. Meagher, the Planning Commission, Deep Creek Watershed Board of Zoning Appeals, and Department of Planning and Land Development under advisement. I would encourage members of the POA to submit their opinion to my attention and attend the hearing.
3. Realignment of Route 219 – Oakland (Bypass). Commissioner Raley spoke to this question by stating that this project was moved to #2 on the Board of Garrett County Commissioners Capital Transportation Plan. The 3 mile section of Route 219 from the PA line south to Interstate 68 is the #1 Project for the County and this project will begin construction this fall. Questions on this plan should be addressed to John Nelson with the County Department of Planning and Land Development.
4. Thayerville Water Project. The question on different ad valorem tax rates for different sanitary districts in the Deep Creek Lake Watershed. This is a question that will require an extensive answer and I would happy to facilitate such an response or session to meet. In short, there are many water and sewer projects with different costs and distinct debt service obligations and terms of repayment. If members would like me to compile a financial report let me know. The County’s General Audit will show this in brief and a copy of this can be sent to anyone if needed.
5. Thayerville Water Project. Questions and comments on real property taxes and ad valorem tax rate for the Thayerville Water System. I am not sure if there was question on this or just a comment. In any event I will be available to further talk about this.
6. Marcellus Shale. Comments and questions on an economic development survey. Commissioner Raley serves on the Governor’s Advisory Commission and I will speak with him about this and I will assure that information is posted on the County’s website.
7. Glendale Road – Thayerville Water Project. Request for a Public Hearing to receive public commentary on the financial impact (long term) for property owners who must connect to the System. I am not certain a public hearing is what should occur due to the fact that all legal requirements have been met. However, the Board of County Commissioners is certainly open to set up a work session to listen comments and provide clarification. I am not sure who would facilitate this on behalf of the person who asked today’s question or if the POA wants to take the lead but I will do what I can on behalf of the County.
8. “Western Conveyance” In 2003 the Board of Garrett County Commissioners began the process of extending the boundaries of the Deep Creek Lake Sanitary District in order to provide public water and sewer service to Shingle Camp Terrace, Brenneman Drive, Sandy Shores, Stockslager Road Extension, Penelacres, Slide Hollow, and Marsh Hill Subdivision. Public Hearings and Public Informational meetings were conducted as required by the Environmental Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland in 2004 and 2006 and the project has been under engineering design since 2007. During the period of 2007 to the present the Department of Public Utilities and the County Attorney have been securing easements and rights of way for all service lines. At this time plans are to finalize project engineering design this summer and fall, solicit bids for the project over the winter months, and begin construction in the spring/summer of 2014. The Board of County Commissioners would like to provide all property owners who would be in the service area with updates on the project status, a timeline for all phases of planning and construction, public hearing notice, system connection cost estimates, and other pertinent information. The County would like to develop an email distribution list to provide this information. Interested parties should contact County Administrator, Monty Pagenhardt to be added to the mailing list for this project.
