TWIN FALLS, Idaho — Twin Falls is installing a permanent air scrubber to remove hydrogen sulfide gas odors that have long plagued a north Twin Falls neighborhood.
The $500,000 scrubber will be installed at Grandview and Federation. Installation begins next week.
WATCH | Twin Falls resident weighs in on new air scrubber—
Hydrogen sulfide gas has been identified as the main source of sewage-related foul smells in Twin Falls, from Rock Creek to neighborhoods north of there. It is essentially a chemical reaction that is a byproduct of industrial food processing at several Twin Falls plants. The city has been working to address the offensive smells and potential health hazards since 2018.
The Grandview Trunk Line is the main sewer line for the east side of Twin Falls. It runs along portions of Rock Creek before heading north along Grandview.
Twin Falls resident Shane Klaas said the smell is noticeable near Rock Creek.
"I'm smelling it right now. This is stronger than it was yesterday," Klaas observed.
Klaas said that industrial food-processing operations in the area contribute to the problem.
"You've got Glanbia up there. Over here, you've got Lamb Weston. All of this converges, if it's my understanding that all of this converges somewhere down in here," Klaas pointed out.
The city currently uses three mobile odor scrubbers to remove hydrogen sulfide gas from the air. Twin Falls Environmental Manager Nathan Erickson explained how they work.
"We have a connection into the sewer that's pulling the air out, runs it through these carbon pellets, and then cleans up the air of all the H2S and any other foul odors or issues with that, and then expels that clean air," Erickson explained.
Erickson said the gas can pose health risks at high concentrations.
"It can be, yeah, in high concentrations, absolutely, which is why the city is so determined to put in mitigating efforts like these odor scrubbers," Erickson added.
When the mobile odor scrubbers are in use, complaints from neighbors decrease. The new permanent scrubber is intended to provide a more consistent solution.
Erickson said the city has made progress working with industrial partners to reduce the problem at its source.
"In the last several years, we have made some really good progress with our industries. Several have made changes to their pre-treatment processes or use of chemicals and different things that has helped reduce odor complaints or reports of H2S in the system," said Erickson.
Klaas, however, is skeptical that scrubbers alone are enough.
"All that those do is basically keep the public from smelling the problem, but it doesn't eliminate the problem. So it gets rid of the complaints, but it doesn't fix the issue," Klaas commented.
Klaas also questioned who should bear the financial responsibility.
"Ultimately, I don't think we should be paying for this. These guys are the ones putting the stuff down in there, so why aren't they paying to fix the problem?" Klaas added.
Erickson said the city will continue working with industrial partners to identify and change processes that result in the toxic gas.
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