City of Bremerton Advisory
The City of Bremerton is issuing an advisory for the Bremerton neighborhoods surrounding the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant that odor control operations have been suspended today due to the shortage of chemical supply. There are no immediate concerns for public health. The action will help preserve the supply of disinfecting chemicals used to treat wastewater following an equipment failure at a manufacturing facility that impacted the main supplier of the chemical for the West Coast.
The City was notified this morning of the disruption in the supply chain of Sodium Hypochlorite which is used for water and wastewater disinfection as well as odor control. To preserve its chemical supply for disinfection, the City suspended its odor control operations at the wastewater treatment plant near State Route 3 to extend its current 7-day supply to a 30-day supply. This operational change prioritizes wastewater disinfection over odor control to preserve public health and maintain compliance with state regulations. The City’s drinking water system has a three-month supply of the chemicals. At this time, we are closely monitoring inventory and do not anticipate impacts to water operations.
Due to the suspension of odor control, the neighborhoods immediately surrounding the wastewater plant will notice a strong smell coming from the facility. The odor will not be harmful but will impact these local neighborhoods. The supplier reports they are working to resolve the supply issue but have not indicated when they can resume delivery of the chemicals at this time.
“I know this announcement will be upsetting for the residents near the treatment plant, and I ask for their patience as we work to protect public health and water quality. By taking these steps to suspend odor control, we believe we will help preserve the stock we have on hand until the supply chain can be restarted. We are in communication with the state's Departments of Health and Ecology and are working to find alternative sources as quickly as we can,” said Mayor Wheeler.
Upon availability of a reliable supply of chemicals, odor control treatment will resume at the Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant.
“We will continue to keep our community informed as we work to resolve this issue for our residents,” said Mayor Wheeler.
For questions and concerns regarding the City’s wastewater, please contact Wastewater Treatment Plant Manager Eric Burris at 360-473-5448 or eric.burris@ci.bremerton.wa.us.
Questions and concerns regarding the Bremerton’s drinking water can be directed to Water Utility Manager Cami Apfelbeck at 360-473-2315 or cami.apfelbeck@ci.bremerton.wa.us.