LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- That foul smell is back in the air in Louisville, a stench many said is strongest in the city's west end.
Metro Councilwoman Tammy Hawkins joined officials from the Metropolitan Sewer District and the Air Pollution Control District on Monday to address concerns and answer questions. Several community members showed up to make sure officials know the smell is a regular problem for their neighborhoods.
"We do see odor reports in other areas of the county, and, of course, we respond to those as well," Rachael Hamilton, director of the Louisville Metro Air Pollution Control District, said Monday. "But the largest number, by far, is in the area west of 9th Street."
Councilwoman Hawkins said these issues need to be address publicly.
Quintella Pulliam, who has lived in her home in the Chickasaw neighborhood for more than 50 years, described the smell as sewage and rotten eggs. She said she can't have visitors over to her house like she used to because of it.
"I use to open my windows at night and get a little bit of fresh air. There's not fresh air to be gotten anymore," she said. "The stench in my house is so awful and so bad that I can taste it sometimes. I actually can taste it."
Quintella Pulliam points to a window in her home, saying she doesn't open it anymore because of the smell coming from the catch basin outside.
And Pulliam isn't the only one. Daweed Boyd, another Chickasaw neighborhood resident, said the smell burns his nose.
"I know I can tell the effects of it," he said. "... my nose keeps running."
He said he's concerned for his neighbors and family members and has stopped having cookouts at his home just because of the smell.
"If you have a smell, you have a problem. So, are these smells harmful to people in the neighborhood? No one gave us an answer. They talked around the answer," he said after leaving the press conference Monday.
Hamilton said what people are typically smelling is hydrogen sulfide. She said the Air Pollution Control District is getting an analyzer to install at its Algonquin Parkway Air Monitoring Site as well as handheld sensors from the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet.
That data will be shared with Louisville Metro Public Health and Wellness.
"With respect to hydrogen sulfide, it's generally understood -- and I'll leave this to the Metropolitan Sewer District if I say anything incorrect -- in the ambient air, when it's emitted into the generally community, it's not generally a hazard," said Hamilton. "We want to be sure we answer that question and so we have acquired a hydrogen sulfide monitor specifically for that chemical so that we can look at that issue."
Neighbors are sharing their concerns and frustrations with the city.
She said for other chemicals, there is near real-time monitoring at the Algonquin Parkway Air Monitoring Site.
"In the ambient air, we have not seen levels of H2S that are above the ambient air standard," said Tony Parrott, MSD's executive director.
MSD said the smell is coming from catch basins, and the problem right now is a lack of rain. Parrott said MSD has been working in several neighborhoods, including the California, Chickasaw, Park Duvalle and Shawnee, to inspect basins and repair or replace them.
"We are doing everything that we have the resources to do, particularly in those hot spot neighborhoods," he said.
Long-term, Parrott said MSD will invest in improvements for odor control at its Morris Forman Wastewater Treatment facility.
"We need to do more regarding our communication of what we're doing, and we're committed to do that," he said.
Parrott said it would take two billion gallons of water to flush the system. He said that would be equal to three months of usage from the Louisville Water Company.
"We would probably say that it is not wise to invest that money, those type of dollars, into creating a flow worth two billion gallons going into the system every day. We think it's better to address it through addressing the catch basins, doing the improvements at our pump stations, doing the improvements at our treatment plant," he said.
Community members said they're ready to see action taken on next steps.
"You can't get rid of that smell. I'm very aggravated about it. I can't enjoy my home like I used to," said Pulliam.
The Air Pollution Control District has its next meeting Wednesday. The public is welcome.
For a direct link to the city's Air Pollution Control District page, including air quality data and information on how to report an odor, click here.
Related Stories:
- MSD responding to numerous complaints of sewage smell in parts of downtown Louisville
- Some New Albany residents say the city smells like rotten eggs. Leaders explain why
- What's that smell? MSD explains uptick in reported odors around Louisville
- WHAT’S THAT SMELL? Here is the reason for that odor across Louisville
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