JEA Pulaski Road Lift Station

Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) provides sewer services for approximately 300,000 customers in Duval County and parts of Nassau and St Johns County. With such a large service area, JEA deals with some of the worst sewer odors in the nation. A recent installation at one of their lift stations incorporated a dual-stage HIBOCS-300 and HICARB-75 odor control system to replace a competitor’s biological system. The existing system was consistently underperforming due to low (10 sec.) empty bed residence time (EBRT). Many manufacturers size their systems for lower EBRTs, which prevents them from adequately treating peak levels of hydrogen sulfide (H2S), ultimately leading to odor complaints. HIBOCS systems are designed with a minimum of 20-seconds empty bed residence time (EBRT) to prevent situations such as this. Our conservative design provides enough media and treatment time to effectively remove inlet H2S concentrations that exceed the design criteria and provides additional treatment of mercaptans and VOCs. H2S Control designed this system to handle 900 SCFM at a 20-second EBRT to effectively treat high H2S concentrations that average 250 ppm and peak at 600 ppm. Since the implementation of this HIBOCS/HICARB odor control system, inlet hydrogen sulfide concentrations collected during regular service visits have been observed at over 1,000 ppm. By providing a very conservative EBRT, the system has been successfully treating these elevated H2S levels that are 65% higher than the original design criteria. The HIBOCS has effectively removed up to 99% of inlet H2S concentrations while remaining odors are absorbed by the HICARB carbon polisher to provide a complete zero-emission odor control solution. Since this odor control system was installed, odor complaints have been eliminated and the utility has received a letter of appreciation from the local homeowner’s association.