Paso Robles stench coming from Firestone Brewery

March 16, 2015

A foul smell in southern Paso Robles is coming from Firestone Walker Brewery’s newly installed wastewater pools. The recently installed wastewater ponds were not working properly. [Paso Robles Daily News]

Firestone is working with an engineer and a wastewater consultant, to correct the issue at the pond located behind the brewery.

Adam Firestone and David Walker released the following statement regarding the issue:

The aromas from our wastewater treatment ponds are neither new nor permanent, but have become more pronounced in recent days due to shifting wind currents. We have expressed apologies to our neighbors, and appreciate their patience as we mitigate the issue.

Some points:

• Our local on-site wastewater treatment is mandated by state law, and ponds like ours are the most effective method of treatment. They are plumbed so that they can send clean water back to the city to help its plant function better, or the water can be kept and reused at the brewery.

• Our ponds contain nothing hazardous (sewage is sent directly to the city treatment center, and is not part of the pond mix). The ponds simply consist of rinse water from beer tanks. This rinse water has yeast and grain particles that can produce composting aromas.

• The aromas are temporary. New ponds take time to fill, so that the chemistry can synergize with the development of beneficial digesting bacteria. This is a process common to all such ponds.

• Once the biology settles in, the ponds become fully functional and more aroma neutral. Unfortunately, this takes filling them completely, which we are doing as fast as possible in the face of production limits and limited rainfall. We are hoping for more rainfall to help accelerate the timeline.

• We began filling the ponds a few months ago, but recently southerly and easterly winds have pushed the aromas toward Ramada drive, making them more noticeable to our neighbors.

Please know that we are doing everything possible to mitigate this issue, and to complete the filling of the ponds as soon as possible. We are in touch with all of the relevant local agencies to ensure that everyone is informed about our progress. We have a team of engineering experts working with us to accelerate the timeline and neutralize the aromas as quickly as possible. Again, this is a temporary situation on the path to creating a progressive solution for wastewater treatment and water conservation at the brewery, one that will also benefit the City. We appreciate everyone’s understanding.