Jan 12, 2017
The Atlantic County Utilities Authority (ACUA) recently installed
a new enclosed flare at its landfill to improve efficiency and decrease odors.
The flare is used to
burn excess landfill gas that is not used to generate electricity through
ACUA’s existing landfill gas to energy project. The flare converts methane
found in landfill gas into carbon dioxide, a less harmful greenhouse gas.
The new flare will
burn the excess landfill gas at a much higher efficiency than the older flare
that was removed. As a result, odors and emissions will be greatly reduced.
The project cost
approximately $440,000 and is representative of the infrastructure improvements
being made across the Authority’s facilities.
“ACUA is dedicated to
maintaining and improving its infrastructure across both our solid waste and
wastewater facilities,” said President Rick Dovey. “We continually asses our
infrastructure and have responsibly planned for projects that will target areas
most in need.”
Over the past two
years, ACUA has installed dozens of additional gas recovery wells to improve
its landfill gas collection system as well as a temporary cap to cover open
portions of the landfill. Both projects greatly improve gas collection
efficiency and reduce odors.
ACUA’s Wastewater Facility will be undergoing a number of
resiliency projects in 2017 to protect its critical infrastructure from storms
and flooding, including the installation of a protective seawall, permanent
sumps, upgrades to emergency power and the removal of underground storage
tanks. Other infrastructure undergoing upgrades are the Brigantine Force Main,
bar screens, and the sewer sludge incinerator.
The need for critical
infrastructure upgrades is a topic that has been making headlines across the
country. The American Society of Civil Engineers, which releases a yearly Report
Card for Infrastructure, recently rated New Jersey a B- for its solid waste
infrastructure and a D for wastewater infrastructure.