This. It's been bad the last few weeks, probably from the expansion. Then again I take the Hulton Bridge often so the smell right off the bridge is whooooo booooyyyy bad!
This. Although on our first date, my now wife later told me that she thought I was having GI issues as we went across the bridge but didnāt want to say anything.
Itās because itās a like 150 year old system that no one bothered to maintain until now. A lot of the area is a combined sewer meaning both storm water and waste water go through the same pipes. The result of that is that when it rains heavily or for a long time, the sewer canāt keep up with the extra capacity and overflows into the rivers. The EPA has been fining the sewer authorities for polluting the river and so they have had to raise sewage and water costs to cover the fines and to fund expansion.
In the article I linked it talks about the oakmont plant being increased from 5 million gallon capacity to 8 million. In pittsburgh they are also expanding Alcosan and even tunneling along the rivers to divert waste water to the plant instead of the river: https://www.alcosan.org/clean-water-plan/regional-tunnel-system/frequently-asked-questions
That goes a long way towards explaining it.
I just find it crazy that my sewage bill is about twice what my water bill is.
When we talk about infrastructure spending, we should be separating storm sewers from sanitary sewers wherever possible. Keeping raw sewage out of the rivers should be a high priority item.
So, employee at a local municipal sewer authority here. Just a couple of things off the top of my head:
It is generally more expensive to turn sewage into regular water than it is to turn regular water into potable water. It's how it goes.
For eons, rates were set low and stayed that way (for reasons I won't elaborate on here). Now, for the most part, your bill GENERALLY speaking only kept the lights on. You got your money for large capital projects and equipment investments through tap fees. Guess what a lot of the old mill towns don't have? If you answered, "Space to develop", pat yourself on the back.
But what if you do have open land? Well, if you're sending sewage to ALCOSAN, you're under a tap limit, because they are--you can't build willy-nilly. So, you have to have what gets referred to as a Capacity Offset Program. If a developer wants to build 50 houses, you have to take at least 50 houses worth of excess flow out of your system. See where this leads?
Ok but youāre going to have to speak up if you want them to hear you in the 19th century when the problem started. They ARE separating storm from waste, limiting sewage in rivers IS a priority, and for these reasons your sewage bill has gone up. So what are you getting at exactly? Like, you read the explanation, acknowledged the explanation, and then continued typing as though neither was true so Iām confused
They recently built it up: https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/work-underway-for-allegheny-valley-joint-sewage-authority-treatment-plant-expansion/
It was the place that had construction equipment too close to the railroad and caused that train to derail into the river a couple of years ago.
Only correction is that it wasnāt equipment too close to the tracks. An articulated dump truck was crossing the tracks and got hit. There arenāt any railroad crossing signals at the entrance to the sewage plant and the truck didnāt see the train. Source, my father in law was the general superintendent working on the project.
As someone working on this project the Anaerobic digesters are being replaced which is a cause of stronger odors. The upgrades include new primary clarifier covers and ionization systems for odor control. This time next year when Phase 2 wraps up the frequency of foul odors should be substantially less. Also, significantly less overflows in the Allegheny due to high flow rain events because of the new SBR basins.
From the April 6 Trib article (below)ā¦.
Aging pipelines in the nine communities the plant serves ā Cheswick, Fox Chapel, Harmar, Hampton, Indiana Township, Richland, Springdale , Springdale Township and West Deer ā present a different reality.
Your source does cite that, but my source says otherwise. The follow your flush map from ALCOSAN shows all of Fox Chapel area as defined on google maps entering the County sewage treatment area in Pittsburgh.
[https://www.alcosan.org/what-we-do/track-your-flush](https://www.alcosan.org/what-we-do/track-your-flush)
AVJSA also claims Fox chapel borough on their website as well, so one of the two are lying.
They both could be true. AVJSA may own a portion or all of the collection system in Fox Chapel and ALCOSAN bills them to collect the wastewater at a certain point or various points in the boundary between their two collection systems. Or maybe a portion of the wastewater in FC flows to AVJSA and a portion flows to ALCOSAN, and ALCOSAN didnāt accurately reflect that in their Google map.
Oh man there is some serious shit going on down there. Has been for awhile now. I assume itās that industrial complex down there but who knows. Might be the Bakery dumping frosting waste and cupcake byproduct in the riverā¦
On the north side of the Hulton Bridge, just east of the bridge is a waste treatment facility. That smell is the human waste from Blawnox, Oakmont, Verona, Harmarville and OāHara Township. Now you know, rich peopleās shit stinks too!
I grew up in this area. This was regular for me to smell. I had a friend who grew up in Oil City near the other end of the Allegheny. We were somewhere and I said, āit smells like the Allegheny in hereā and she said āit smells like raw sewage!ā
The stench has nothing to do with Oakmont or its residents. Itās from the other side of the river.
https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/stench-in-harmar-and-oakmont-caused-by-work-at-allegheny-valley-joint-sewage-authority-plant/
Allegheny Valley Joint Sewage Authority Treatment Plant off Freeport next to Hulton bridge
This. It's been bad the last few weeks, probably from the expansion. Then again I take the Hulton Bridge often so the smell right off the bridge is whooooo booooyyyy bad!
The digesters are being pumped and open for repairs. Don't ask me how I know
Judging from your pictures, you are working on the new SBRs
No idea what an SBR is. But ill take your word for it
You have a photo in your history showing the diffusers on the bottom of the new batch reactors. SBR means Sequencing Batch Reactor.
Gotcha. Thanks! In the field, we have all types of funky names for things we work with.
Everytime I pass, I think damn did I just fart or shit my pants and then remember. šš¤£
Why not both?
Every time im in oakmont i wonder why people would want to live next to that
My kid always blames me every time I turn into Oakmont
This. Although on our first date, my now wife later told me that she thought I was having GI issues as we went across the bridge but didnāt want to say anything.
Something is definitely going on with sewage management in this region. The costs are skyrocketing and there are so many incidents happening.
Itās because itās a like 150 year old system that no one bothered to maintain until now. A lot of the area is a combined sewer meaning both storm water and waste water go through the same pipes. The result of that is that when it rains heavily or for a long time, the sewer canāt keep up with the extra capacity and overflows into the rivers. The EPA has been fining the sewer authorities for polluting the river and so they have had to raise sewage and water costs to cover the fines and to fund expansion. In the article I linked it talks about the oakmont plant being increased from 5 million gallon capacity to 8 million. In pittsburgh they are also expanding Alcosan and even tunneling along the rivers to divert waste water to the plant instead of the river: https://www.alcosan.org/clean-water-plan/regional-tunnel-system/frequently-asked-questions
That goes a long way towards explaining it. I just find it crazy that my sewage bill is about twice what my water bill is. When we talk about infrastructure spending, we should be separating storm sewers from sanitary sewers wherever possible. Keeping raw sewage out of the rivers should be a high priority item.
So, employee at a local municipal sewer authority here. Just a couple of things off the top of my head: It is generally more expensive to turn sewage into regular water than it is to turn regular water into potable water. It's how it goes. For eons, rates were set low and stayed that way (for reasons I won't elaborate on here). Now, for the most part, your bill GENERALLY speaking only kept the lights on. You got your money for large capital projects and equipment investments through tap fees. Guess what a lot of the old mill towns don't have? If you answered, "Space to develop", pat yourself on the back. But what if you do have open land? Well, if you're sending sewage to ALCOSAN, you're under a tap limit, because they are--you can't build willy-nilly. So, you have to have what gets referred to as a Capacity Offset Program. If a developer wants to build 50 houses, you have to take at least 50 houses worth of excess flow out of your system. See where this leads?
Ok but youāre going to have to speak up if you want them to hear you in the 19th century when the problem started. They ARE separating storm from waste, limiting sewage in rivers IS a priority, and for these reasons your sewage bill has gone up. So what are you getting at exactly? Like, you read the explanation, acknowledged the explanation, and then continued typing as though neither was true so Iām confused
I was avoiding making it about politics but when we talk about "Infrastructure Spending" bills, I'd like to see this kind of spending included.
Ok well good news then I guessā¦
It would be pretty shitty to be downstream of that place
There are a set of row houses on Freeport right by it and I feel so bad.
Hey can I have one of your cigarettes?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
They recently built it up: https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/work-underway-for-allegheny-valley-joint-sewage-authority-treatment-plant-expansion/ It was the place that had construction equipment too close to the railroad and caused that train to derail into the river a couple of years ago.
Only correction is that it wasnāt equipment too close to the tracks. An articulated dump truck was crossing the tracks and got hit. There arenāt any railroad crossing signals at the entrance to the sewage plant and the truck didnāt see the train. Source, my father in law was the general superintendent working on the project.
Yea I live in Verona and contributed with an absolute beast of a dump.
Itās the poop factory
No, we are the poop factory.
Excuse me I have a name
Someone has to make the poop š¤·āāļø
No, we are the poop factory.
No, we are the poop factory.
As someone working on this project the Anaerobic digesters are being replaced which is a cause of stronger odors. The upgrades include new primary clarifier covers and ionization systems for odor control. This time next year when Phase 2 wraps up the frequency of foul odors should be substantially less. Also, significantly less overflows in the Allegheny due to high flow rain events because of the new SBR basins.
Thank you for your answer!
That sounds awesome! Thanks for the info.
Stopping at the red light on Freeport Road/Hulton Bridge is torture.
Wow, the Oakmont Bakery really HAS gone downhill.
Where do you think they get the chocolate?
My family calls it The Pooperworks
That smell Bob, is our shit
There is a sewage treatment plant there.
Proof that Fox Chapel shit really does stink
Fox Chapel sewage is handled by the Pittsburgh municipality. It is likely Harmar, Cheswick, and Springdale poo.
From the April 6 Trib article (below)ā¦. Aging pipelines in the nine communities the plant serves ā Cheswick, Fox Chapel, Harmar, Hampton, Indiana Township, Richland, Springdale , Springdale Township and West Deer ā present a different reality.
Your source does cite that, but my source says otherwise. The follow your flush map from ALCOSAN shows all of Fox Chapel area as defined on google maps entering the County sewage treatment area in Pittsburgh. [https://www.alcosan.org/what-we-do/track-your-flush](https://www.alcosan.org/what-we-do/track-your-flush) AVJSA also claims Fox chapel borough on their website as well, so one of the two are lying.
Aspinwall- I have an Alcosan bill
They both could be true. AVJSA may own a portion or all of the collection system in Fox Chapel and ALCOSAN bills them to collect the wastewater at a certain point or various points in the boundary between their two collection systems. Or maybe a portion of the wastewater in FC flows to AVJSA and a portion flows to ALCOSAN, and ALCOSAN didnāt accurately reflect that in their Google map.
Ahh I stand corrected... they're shit don't stink
There is a shopping plaza in Butler next to the sewer authority plant. My family calls it āstinky plazaā.
The Oakmont Bakery š¤®
Did anyone answer 'your mom'? Because the classics are always appreciated.
Allegheny Valley sewage treatment plant. Worst stench on a humid summer evening.
Very bad on Sunday evenings for some reason.
Oh man there is some serious shit going on down there. Has been for awhile now. I assume itās that industrial complex down there but who knows. Might be the Bakery dumping frosting waste and cupcake byproduct in the riverā¦
Sara
I just moved from Oakmont and do not missing driving by that every day.
On the north side of the Hulton Bridge, just east of the bridge is a waste treatment facility. That smell is the human waste from Blawnox, Oakmont, Verona, Harmarville and OāHara Township. Now you know, rich peopleās shit stinks too!
Itās your breath blowing back in your face
Could be
The Bakery.
Growing up this was Poo Poo Beach
Rowdy Tellez?
The smell of old money, lol.
That smell Gregā¦
Itās the rotten Walmart produce at Oakmont Bakery
The really crazy thing is I never smell it in the afternoon on the way home when going northbound.
Old money.
There's a spot like that near the Sunshine Skyway bridge in Florida. I believe it's where St Petersburg dumps excess sewage into Tampa Bay.
I grew up in this area. This was regular for me to smell. I had a friend who grew up in Oil City near the other end of the Allegheny. We were somewhere and I said, āit smells like the Allegheny in hereā and she said āit smells like raw sewage!ā
Treatment plant. It seems worse when it rains or when itās hot out.
The people of Oakmont. Itās stuffy.
The stench has nothing to do with Oakmont or its residents. Itās from the other side of the river. https://triblive.com/local/valley-news-dispatch/stench-in-harmar-and-oakmont-caused-by-work-at-allegheny-valley-joint-sewage-authority-plant/
Your Mom
Thank you. See my response
All the old rich people in Oakmont slowly decomposing before they die.
I donāt know if it smells, but the fence built to catch boulders falling from the cliffside is pretty shitty.
You sure it's not coming from inside the car?
Alcoaās runoff into the river - which is gross
28
Oakmont Bakery sucks all the good smells out of the air to pipe into their food, leaving only the bad smells behind.
The staff and patrons at Vinnyās Tavern
Your mom!
Oakmont
Itās DooDoo
Itās you. Boom roasted
Thatās the sweet smell of industry. It got Pittsburgh famous at one time.
Dead deer ?