POST FALLS, Idaho — The City of Post Falls announced on Friday that it began a $150,000 maintenance project to improve the odor control system at the Water Reclamation Facility (WRF) located at 2002 West Seltice Way.
The city says a contractor will replace the bark chips in the biofilter, which naturally breaks down odors from the facility. The biofilter bark chips wear out every seven to ten years and must be replaced.
Replacing the bark chips will ensure the odor control system functions as designed. While the biofilter is offline, the contractor will make other adjustments to improve the overall performance of the odor control system when it comes back online.
Residents in the area say the odor is something difficult to get used to.
"It does smell like just raw sewage you know," said Timothy Hall, who lives next door to the WRF. "Sometimes the wind makes it more noticeable in this area but its pretty potent ... some days it can be really irritating."
Another resident, Rita Ryan, has lived near the WRF since 2013 and says the odor has lessened through the years and ebbs and flows with the seasons.
"The smell has gotten a little bit under control but come summer it can get pretty toxic," said Ryan.
The city says the maintenance work on the biofilter will continue through January 3, 2025.
The city advises that during this time, nearby residents may notice an increase in odors. However, odor control will improve significantly once the new bark chips are in place and the biofilter is fully operational in early January.
"I'm glad that people are really striving to make life better for us," said Ryan.