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County outlines monitoring and mitigation for hydrogen sulfide odor near Monroe; ambient meter ordered
Summary
County staff reported ongoing monitoring of hydrogen sulfide at the airplane park near the Village of Monroe, said an oxygenation system eliminated odors in earlier tests, and said the county will deploy a new ambient meter capable of 0.01 ppm resolution.
Orange County staff updated the Seward District No. 1 Advisory Committee on May 20 about ongoing efforts to monitor and reduce hydrogen sulfide odors near the airplane park in the Village of Monroe, including weekly sewer‑system readings, manhole‑sealing work, and purchase of a higher‑precision ambient monitoring meter.
The update matters to nearby residents and the host communities because fugitive hydrogen sulfide releases can cause offensive odors and contribute to sewer‑system corrosion; monitoring and mitigation inform potential equipment and operational fixes.
Bob Grace, Chair of the advisory committee, introduced the item and asked staff to summarize recent tests. A staff speaker described a prior demonstration in which the Chester pump station was equipped with a temporary oxygenation system and the Village of South Blooming Grove participated in a trailerized demonstration. The speaker said that during the test the odors abated.
The county is now monitoring temperatures and hydrogen sulfide concentrations inside manholes and reporting weekly. The monitoring reports include ambient air temperature, sewage temperature, hydrogen sulfide levels inside the sewer and actions taken such as sealing vents and manholes. Staff said these internal measurements have shown levels “well within any standards” and do not indicate a public‑health crisis.
Staff said they have ordered an ambient meter that will measure hydrogen sulfide down to 0.01 parts per million and will allow continuous, outside‑air monitoring to calculate hourly concentrations; the county said that an hourly concentration above 0.01 ppm would be considered a violation under the new referenced standard. Staff described the new meter as capable of more accurate, continuous readings than the handheld meters used previously, which reported instantaneous values in manholes.
County staff recommended continued sealing of manholes, coordinated treatment at pump stations and outreach to municipalities; they said the Village of South Blooming Grove adopted a resolution in 2022 to acquire an oxygenation system but has not yet installed it. The committee heard that Chester’s oxygenation system and Blooming Grove’s intermittent chlorine dosing had complementary effects in past operations but that oxygenation generally produced the most consistent odor control.
The committee requested that staff continue weekly reports and to bring ambient‑monitoring data once the new meter is deployed, which staff estimated would be a matter of weeks to months.
