Odour control at the Tillsonburg Wastewater Treatment Plant

August 2025 - Spring/Summer 2026

Oxford County regularly monitors all of its treatment plants for odour issues and is taking steps to address odour complaints in Tillsonburg.

The County has been working through improvements to the Tillsonburg Wastewater Treatment Plant since 2021, including major upgrades at the end of 2024 and early 2025 to help prepare for future growth in the community. The odours experienced in 2025 were generated in the new headworks and thickening buildings and were exhausted into the atmosphere through rooftop HVAC systems. Odour generated from these processes was intensified by the higher temperatures experienced in the summer of 2025.

Odour control work taking place at the Tillsonburg Wastewater Treatment Plant includes:

• refreshing the biofilter to ensure it is operating optimally;
• reviewing treatment processes at the plant to determine where adjustments can be made to reduce odours; and,
• new odour abatement equipment to eliminate odours from this source.

Tillsonburg residents can be assured there are no safety or performance issues at the wastewater treatment plant, and that it is operating reliably and meeting all requirements set by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks.