Industrial plants are known for being loud, acoustically-harsh environments. The combination of high ceilings, reflective surfaces and heavy machinery din creates an environment for reverberation and noise. Such conditions can decrease productivity and increase health and safety hazards.
This is especially true for wastewater treatment plants where the combination of high-speed, high volume air blowers and concentrators, high ceilings, and hard, easily-cleanable surfaces combine to create a unique noise problem. Facility managers and operators at the Southerly and Jackson Pike Wastewater Treatment Plants in Columbus, Ohio, as well as officials in the city’s Division of Sewerage and Drainage, were well aware of these risks.