Lexington is updating the odor control for its sanitary sewer system. Some steps have been taken to reduce odor from the sewer:
- Cleaning the odor control systems at both of the city’s wastewater treatment plants.
- Hiring an environmental firm to test the systems that are currently in place and recommend upgrades that will provide the best results on the quickest timeline.
The city is served by two wastewater treatment plants: Town Branch, located between Old Frankfort Pike and Leestown Road; and West Hickman, located in Jessamine County near the Fayette County line. These plants are fed by pump stations and sewer lines that transport wastewater from homes and businesses to one of the treatment plants.
Smoke testing
Smoke testing will push non-toxic, white smoke into manholes. If a sewer pipe is cracked or broken, smoke will come up from the ground. This can help identify where odors are coming from.
Schedule (weather dependent):
- Meadowthorpe: complete
- Cumberland Hill: Sept. 16 - 27, 2024
- Pinnacle: tentatively Oct. 21 - Nov. 1, 2024
Updates, summer 2024
Town Branch Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Replacing the carbon in the filters that help purify air began in July, 2024.
West Hickman Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Odor testing was conducted in early July to help inform long-term odor improvements.
- Rehabilitation of an underperforming odor control scrubber should be completed by September, 2024.
Pump stations and sewer lines
- Smoke testing will begin in early September, 2024.
- Alternative chemicals that may reduce odor are being tested.