Using IMET® Technology to Minimize Odor and Bio-Solids Buildup at an Ottawa County Pump Station
After installing an IMET® system at Pump Station 50 (PS 50) in a prominent neighborhood in Ottawa County, Ohio, hydrogen sulfide (H2S) odor was significantly reduced to negligible levels. This is a major win considering the proximity of the pump station to residential homes and Catawba Island’s high tourist population in the summer. The organic mat that formed on top of the wet well disappeared, helping regulate the water levels and reducing how often it needed to be pumped.
The system delivered 80-95% reduction of CBOD5 in the wet well depending on the fluctuating residence time due to Catawba’s seasonal population changes.
Ottawa County reduced the amount of calcium nitrate sent upstream by 2,470 gallons, resulting in $6,700 in chemical savings from February to September of 2025.
Challenges:
Located in a residential neighborhood in Catawba Island, Ottawa County received complaints about foul odors coming from PS 50. Residents wanted the county to provide a sustainable solution that would get rid of the smell for good.
Solution:
Waterways like riverbeds are naturally cleaned by microorganisms that are attached to rocks and sands primarily within their pore structures underwater. These microorganisms consume dissolved biowaste (BOD) in the waterbody to clean the water.
IMET technology mimics nature’s way of treating wastewater through its patented aerobic packed bed treatment module design. “We essentially took the riverbed and brought it to the pump station,” said Kaan Gencer, chief operating officer (COO) for IMET®.
Before installing the IMET® system at PS 50, the pump station wet well produced H2S, a gas known for its distinctive rotten egg smell. Installing two large IMET Modules into the wet well converted the pump station into a nearly 100% aerobic system, enabling aerobic microorganisms to thrive and causing anaerobic microorganisms to go dormant.
“We converted the PS 50 pump station into an aerobic system,” said Gencer. “We now have enough sustained dissolved oxygen in the water to maintain a high population of diverse aerobic microorganisms at all times.”
Each 14- by 40-inch IMET® Module circulates wastewater through its high surface media (an area about half the size of a football field) via an air diffuser at the bottom. The diverse populations of aerobic microorganisms growing within the multi-media are constantly in contact with the dissolved nutrients in the pump station.
Results:
One year after installing the IMET® system, the results have been described as “a game-changer”. Installation of the IMET® system resulted in the elimination of the organic mat including considerable amounts of Fats, Oils and Grease (FOG) within the pump station. In this specific application, another noteworthy result has been 80 to 95% reduction of CBOD5 in the wet well depending on the fluctuating residence time due to Catawba’s seasonal population changes.
There are no H2S odor complaints from the local residents and the organic mat has disappeared from the wet well without requiring pump outs. The significant chemical savings realized together with other benefits of the IMET system, Ottawa County is setting its sights even higher.
“We feel the installation of the IMET system has been a positive outcome for us” said Christopher Goetz, Water Reclamation Superintendent for Ottawa County Sanitary Engineering Department. “We are hoping that we can reduce even more or eliminate the need for calcium nitrate altogether.” Looking ahead, Ottawa County plans to implement more IMET® systems in other pump stations across the county.
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