Something Completely Different
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In my college days, every Sunday night my friends and I would watch Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Fans out there will remember John Cleese’s infamous, “And now for something completely different.” (That part of the program treated us to ridiculously funny nonsense – as if the rest of the program wasn’t kooky enough.)
In a totally different way, “completely different” and “creative” also applies to the Sheboygan Wastewater Treatment Plant. I went there after a meeting of the Wisconsin Operators Association, where resource recovery was a hot topic.
- “Creativity is not a talent. It is a way of operating.” – John Cleese
Far from nonsensical, in Sheboygan, the belt filter press area employed something I’d not seen before; a very creative solution to a common problem. Hanging from the ceiling were separate sheets of clear plastic enclosing the equipment. This simple, readily-adaptable idea improved the efficiency of air-handling equipment used to control odors. Pungent ammonia gas is just one of the gases emitted from belt filter presses. This application provides operators easy access to the equipment, but also reduces odors in the building and saves money with improved air-handling efficiency.
