- A wastewater treatment plant in Allentown resolved its issues
- A buildup of solid waste caused a stink to spill over into the city
- It took less than two weeks to fix
ALLENTOWN, Pa. — A buildup of excess solids at a city wastewater treatment plant that caused unpleasant sewer odors has been resolved.
“Lehigh County Authority is pleased to report the Kline's Island Wastewater Treatment plant operations have returned to normal,” said Susan Sampson, the authority’s communications manager, in a Wednesday email. “The increased odor issue due to a backup of solids is resolved.
“We would like to thank residents and businesses who are neighbors of the plant, and everyone impacted by the odors for their patience and understanding.”Susan Sampson, communications manager for Lehigh County Authority
“We would like to thank residents and businesses who are neighbors of the plant, and everyone impacted by the odors for their patience and understanding.”
The announcement comes less than two weeks after the authority notified residents that an operational issue caused a buildup of excess solids at the Kline’s Island Wastewater Treatment Plant on Union Street. The plant treats more than 30 million gallons of sewage per day from city customers and more than a dozen other surrounding communities.
Officials apologized to residents for any “unpleasant sewer odors” they smelled while repairs were completed, noting the “sewer odor may be described as an ‘earthy’ or ‘rotten egg’ smell but is not harmful to human health.”
The buildup was caused by a mechanical problem last month after the LCA industrial pretreatment plant in Fogelsville sent a higher-than-normal load of solids down to Allentown, officials said.
“Solids are a natural byproduct of the process for treating wastewater, in which solids and organic material are separated from the water,” according to the Sept. 8 news release. “The solids are typically ‘digested’ by the biological processes at the plant, and the remaining material applied as fertilizer on farm fields or disposed of at a landfill.”
Generally, the solids would be removed at the plant in Fogelsville and wouldn’t impact the plant in Allentown.
Work included a “manual clean out” at Kline’s Island, as well as addressing the mechanical issues in Fogelsville.
More information can be found on the authority's website.
