What's that smell?

Photo: Google Maps

Residents living near the Westside Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant may notice an ugly odour for the next couple of days.

The regional district is installing new materials in the biofilter at the facility off Gellatly Road, just west of Gellatly Nut Farm.

The open-bed biofilter is commonly used at wastewater treatment plants to biologically treat gases that are collected throughout the wastewater treatment process and reduce emissions of foul air.

Following the installation, there may be periods of additional odour ,as it takes a few days to get the biofilter up to 100 per cent performance. The odour may appear for the next two or three days.

To ensure optimum efficiency, the filter material must be periodically replaced. This was last done in the spring of 2014.

Residents and other stakeholders in the area have been advised of the work.

The regional district apologizes for any short-term inconvenience.

The facility receives and treats more than 10,000 cubic metres of wastewater each day from businesses and households in West Kelowna, Peachland and the Westbank First Nation Reserves 9 and 10.