Wildwood commissioners wrestled Monday with a stinking problem in Oxford.
They voted to table a $59,000 contract with CPH Engineers to handle design and bids for an odor control system at a wastewater lift station on County Road 209.
Commissioner Joe Elliott said a proposed solution involving a 20-foot-tall cylindrical chamber wouldn’t be enough to eradicate the problem, according to statistics.
Mayor Ed Wolf said he’s concerned that area residents may complain about the appearance of the tall chamber. The nearest home on Hess Way in Oxford Oaks is about 260 feet away.
City staff will investigate whether more land could be available so the chamber could be wider and shorter.
An odor control unit installed about three years ago and blowers to put air into the wastewater aren’t enough to remove the stench.
The tall chamber would be installed by a different company at an estimated cost of $400,000, which includes removal of the existing unit.
Wastewater from 18 small grinder pump stations upstream and four larger stations are pumped into the lift station. It takes up to three days to reach the lift station, which increases the odor.
