Alberta Environment pinpoints source of foul smell in south Edmonton

EDMONTON – If you noticed an odd odour in the southern parts of Edmonton, you’re not alone.

The smell was being reported by Edmontonians in the southeast and southwest Tuesday night and for much of Wednesday morning.

ATCO and AltaGas both sent out crews to investigate the stench, but neither could find the source. Alberta Environment, however, has managed to trace the odour to two lakes: South Cooking Lake and Ministik Lake.

Officials say it’s the result of the reeds and algae rotting over the winter — something that’s reportedly an annual event.

This isn’t the first time the smell has blow in to the Edmonton region. The province says it received a lot of complaints back in 2004.

There are no air quality concerns as it’s all organic material.