Odour covers are physical barriers made of materials that are:
- solid, such as tarps or plastic domes
- semi-permeable, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) – trapping odour but allowing air and water to escape
- biological, such as finished or matured compost.
Covers reduce odour emissions when placed over the odorous source.
They can be a cost-effective solution to manage odour from outdoor sources. If your processes or stockpiles cannot be indoors, you need an odour cover to contain the odour.
Type of control
- Physical
When to use odour covers
Odour covers are suitable for outdoor stockpiles and other static odour sources, such as:
- stockpiles
- ponds
- tanks
- lagoons.
Industries that use covers include:
- agriculture
- businesses storing chemicals and liquids
- industries with solid stockpiles – for example, composts and landfills
- industries with water bodies – for example, ponds, tanks, lagoons and reservoirs.
Considerations and requirements
It's important to consider which type of odour cover is right for your circumstances.
The best material for the cover depends on:
- the type of odour you produce
- whether you are covering solid or liquid.
For stockpiles, consider:
- how often you need to access the stockpile
- what sort of weather protection the stockpile needs.
How you install odour covers depends on the odour source you are covering. For example, an anaerobic lagoon has different requirements to a manure stockpile. You may need to get an expert to help you install it, which costs more.
The odour cover must:
- cover the entire surface of the odorous material
- be secured appropriately for the material.
Stockpile sizes and odour production levels can change. Your choice of odour cover needs to account for this.
Some stockpiles produce excess gas. If this happens, your odour cover needs to:
- be flexible to allow for possible gas build-up
- accommodate flaring of gas and/or capturing gas for energy production.
For more information on requirements for managing odour, visit Control odour from your business.
Types of odour covers
Odour covers are a fit-for-purpose solution. The type of cover you choose depends on your odour source.
Gas collection cover
Best suited for:
- odorous stockpiles producing excess amounts of gas that may build up
- lagoons with fluctuating levels.
The material must flex to accommodate gas build-up or fluctuating lagoon levels.
You need an extraction and treatment system to manage the odorous gas that the cover captures.
Geomembrane or floating cover
A geomembrane is also known as a floating cover. This is a general-purpose cover suitable for many different industries. It's used for a variety of applications, such as:
- granary covers
- husbandry covers
- irrigation channel liners and covers
- piggery covers
- wine and viticulture activity covers.
It's best suited for keeping odour within wastewater and manure ponds.
Materials used for geomembranes include:
- PVC (polyvinyl chloride)
- reinforced PVC
- woven polyethylene.
You must maintain the tension of the cover at all times.
Ballast lines bordered by floats may need a professional to install.
Solid fibreglass cover
Solid fibreglass covers are best suited for odorous stockpiles in static tanks. The material does not need to flex to accommodate fluctuating levels or excess gas build-up.
The covers may need to be plumbed with an exhaust fan and treatment or dispersal controls.
Fibreglass reinforced plastic cover
This is a general-purpose cover suitable for many different industries and purposes.
It's generally used for:
- wastewater
- sewage treatment
- chemical storage.
Polytetrafluoroethylene cover
This type of cover is used in the composting industry and for other organic waste stockpiles. Polytetrafluoroethylene is also known under brand names such as Teflon and GORE-TEX.
The material's pore size:
- allows air, water and carbon dioxide to pass through
- traps larger, more odorous compounds.
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