A Breath of Fresh Air: How Driftsteknikk is Tackling Odour and Risk
Let’s be honest: no one expects a pump station to smell like roses. But when the air turns dangerously toxic, and operators start passing out, action needs to be taken. Driftsteknikk’s Noritas odour reduction units are built precisely for this purpose. And Nordre Follo Municipality is leading the way in using them proactively.
Clearing the Air and Neutralizing the Risk
The issue isn’t just unpleasant odours. “That rotten egg smell? That’s hydrogen sulfide—H₂S,” explains Fredrik Olsen Hagstrøm, Managing Director of Driftsteknikk. “It’s invisible, highly toxic, and potentially lethal. In some stations, we’re dealing with extremely high concentrations that pose a real threat to health and safety.”
Noritas units, developed and assembled in-house at Råde, combine activated carbon filters with UV-based ozone treatment. The result? A significant reduction in harmful gas levels, improved safety and in many cases, the near-complete elimination of odour.
While the main market is public infrastructure, the potential goes far beyond that. “We see applications in waste rooms, campsites, housing co-ops and even ferry terminals,” Fredrik says. “Wherever there’s smell, there’s a solution.”
A Forward-Thinking Municipality
Nordre Follo first used Noritas products years ago.
«Nordre Follo understands the connection between sustainable infrastructure and safe working conditions,” Fredrik says. “They want their pump stations to be clean, safe, and non-intrusive to nearby residents. Not all municipalities think that far ahead.”
Some pump stations serve five households, others 500. But the principle is the same: filter harmful gases before they cause problems—for neighbours, the environment, or the people working inside the stations.
One worker in a neighbouring municipality once collapsed inside a pump station due to H₂S exposure. “This isn’t just about air quality; it’s about people.”
Cleaner Process, Greener Thinking
What sets Noritas apart is not just performance. It’s the design. “We do the dirty work here,” Fredrik explains. “Our sealed units avoid messy, on-site filter handling. Customers can easily swap filters themselves, but the handling, refilling and disposal of activated carbon is always done by us – professionally, cleanly, and safely.»
The filters are recyclable, the carbon is handled safely, and the entire lifecycle is built around hygiene, safety, and circular thinking. Driftsteknikk is now in the final stages of becoming Miljøfyrtårn certified.
What’s Next: The Sweet Smell of Prevention
Driftsteknikk is active in 16–17 municipalities, with more on the way. With a growing need for modern, sustainable infrastructure and rising awareness of workplace health, Fredrik sees a bright, and fresh-smelling, future.
“Some still think ‘environment’ is just a buzzword,” Fredrik says. “But Nordre Follo shows it’s really about responsibility—preventing problems before they start to smell. Literally speaking. And that’s a smart investment by any measure.”