SCOTT TWP. - Looking to solve the lingering odor issue caused by the township's six pump stations, sewer authority board members asked their engineer to research a method used by Jefferson Twp.
At a Scott Twp. sewer authority meeting, Chairman Mike Grant said he recently visited Jefferson Twp., where they use activated charcoal canisters - similar to the ones used in Scott - to deodorize emissions.
The ones used in Jefferson Twp. are about three times bigger, and are able to push air through the lines "much faster and forcefully," Mr. Grant said.
"I don't think our blowers are big enough to suck the air out of the well," board member Stanley Stracham said. "We need that extra pressure to keep the odor level down."
The pump stations have been a source of frustration for residents and board authority members since construction was deemed complete in August 2011.
Since last winter, officials said, dozens of residents have repeatedly shared concerns regarding the smells being emitted from the stations scattered throughout the township.
To combat the smell, officials have ordered the authority's engineer to install the small charcoal canisters, as well as agitators, which work by continuously mixing the waste so it doesn't coagulate and result in a buildup.
But both solutions have acted more like Band-Aids than a permanent fix, said Mr. Grant, who said the authority will not stop searching until an acceptable solution is found.
"If this next step does not work, we will find something else," Mr. Grant said. "We will find a solution."
Also at Tuesday's meeting, authority member and township Supervisor Michael Giannetta said U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, R-10, Lycoming Twp., sent a letter to the board, informing it he could not help refinance the authority's 40-year, $15.3 million loan through the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
In September, the authority sent a letter to the congressman, hoping he could help slash the loan's interest rate from 4.25 percent to 1 percent or lower - a move that would help reduce the $88 monthly sewer fee.
Mr. Giannetta said he will look into a bond issue to refinance the loan.
Contact the writer: miorfino@timesshamrock.com, @miorfinoTT on Twitter