Columbia Weather Systems

The Albany-Millersburg Water Reclamation Facility was the destination for our field trip last week. About two years ago, the City of Albany Public Works Department purchased an Orion 420 Weather Station to replace aging mechanical equipment. We took advantage of their proximity to learn more about weather monitoring for water/wastewater treatment. The Weather Display is mounted on the wall along with other monitors to keep an eye on activity across the facility.  Orion all-in-one sensor with ultrasonic wind speed and direction and impact rain sensor.  Chris explains the process of wastewater treatment. Aaron monitors met data with WeatherMaster Software. Thanks to Christopher Burr and Aaron Budiselich of the Facilities Automation team, our hosts for the tour!

Many facilities are located proximate to commercial and/or residential neighbors. Forward-thinking plant managers want to be good neighbors and take steps to reduce odor issues from the plant, whether chemical or sewage. “Odors from wastewater treatment plants cause neighbors to complain,” says Raquel Rimbach in a Pollution Equipment News article. “These complaints can escalate, gaining traction with public officials and even the media, negatively impacting the plant’s reputation.” 1 Factors such as temperature, precipitation, wind speed and direction contribute to odor intensity and drift. Monitoring and documenting these parameters can help when addressing neighborhood concerns and planning for odor control and mitigation. For example, research shows a positive correlation of H2S concentrations with temperature as it facilitates the growth of microbes. An inverse correlation with precipitation can be owing to infiltration and inflow. Meteorological monitoring helps ...