‘It is horrendous’: West Edmonton residents concerned about sewer odour

WATCH ABOVE: A strong rotten egg smell coming from a city construction site is so bad people say it’s been waking them up at night. Su-Ling Goh has the details.

EDMONTON — Alberta Health Services it is now involved in a pungent problem in the city’s west end.

Residents in a west Edmonton neighbourhood said in late August the smell coming from a nearby sewer construction site has gotten so bad it wakes them up at night.

“One incident I had it really scared me because I couldn’t breathe. I woke up and I felt like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen,” said Irene Blain with the West Jasper Sherwood Community League.

“It is so strong that if you were to plug your nose you can taste it. It is horrendous.”

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The odour, which residents describe as a rotten egg smell, is coming from a construction site in the area of 151 Street and 99 Avenue.

AHS said Saturday it is too early to comment further on the matter, but a spokesperson said they are currently in talks with the city about the issue.

Work on a deep sanitary sewer line in West Jasper Place began in 2011 to prevent flooding. The construction site was cleared in late 2014, but crews returned a few months later for emergency sewer pipe rehabilitation.

Residents said the sewage smell started to emerge in June.

“I work shift work and when I come home at midnight I smell it and it’s like I have to really hurry and get in the house because the stench is so bad,” said Laurie Thiesen.

“I was nauseous and gagging and felt like I was going to vomit but didn’t actually vomit and had a headache.”

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A spokesperson with the City of Edmonton’s Drainage Services department said the odour is due to hydrogen sulfide.

“Absolutely no health concerns that we know about due to the H2S at this level,” said Siri Fernando.

The city said its monitors are set to 1 PPM and there have been no readings hitting that number.

In late August, Fernando said the city had been monitoring the H2S levels during the day, but not overnight. Residents said the smell is the most potent between midnight and 1 a.m.

On Tuesday, Aug. 25 the city installed a device to continuously monitor the air quality. To control the smell, the city said it’s been pumping bioxide into the sewer shaft and installed air scrubbers underground. Work was set to begin to seal the source of the gas with sand and cement.

“There should be a significant reduction in smell by next week,” said Fernando.

Area residents said they just want to see the work done, and soon.

“It has to be dealt with,” said Blain.

“I would like to see this fixed. I would like it fixed properly and completely,” Thiesen said.

Fernando said this portion of the project will be finished by the spring. City council has asked for a report on the issue, which is due this fall.

A public information session has been scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15.

With files from Su-Ling Goh, Global News. 

*Editor’s note: This story was originally published on Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2015. It was updated on Saturday, Sept. 5, 2015 to include the information about Alberta Health Service’s involvement.