DC Water’s Potomac Interceptor Long Term Odor Abatement Project - A Decade of Trials & Triumphs

摘要

The Potomac Interceptor Sewer (PI) has been in service for more than 50 years. During thattime, the pipeline has been an ongoing source of odor complaints from nearby residents and parkusers. The odors that were the basis for the complaints were emitted from a series of vents alongthe pipeline. Many of these vents were located on land owned by the National Park Service andare part of the Chesapeake & Ohio (C & O) Canal Historical Park. In 1999, DC Water embarkedupon a journey which would help to resolve the odor complaints as well as to extend the servicelife of the PI. When the journey started, DC Water had no idea that the project would take morethan a decade to come to fruition. After more than 10 years of permit related delays and another3 years of construction, the project is nearing completion.