Residents in parts of the East Valley say a strong sewer odor has been hanging over their neighborhood for weeks, and now some say it’s making them sick.
Neighbors living near the border of East Mesa and Apache Junction tell ABC15 the smell began several weeks ago and has only gotten worse, with residents reporting headaches, nausea, and an inability to spend time outdoors.
“It’s death. It’s the smell of something that died,” John Shattuck said. “I started getting sicker, I started getting ill, couldn’t travel to do the work that I do.”
Residents believe the source of the odor is a sewer lift station operated by Apache Junction Sewer District, located near their neighborhood.
Shattuck says neighbors first tried reporting the issue by calling the emergency phone number posted on the facility, but felt their concerns weren’t being addressed.
“We started by calling the number that’s posted on the facility, which is an emergency number we’re told to call,” Shattuck said. “Little to no response, or ‘we’ll look into it.’”
ABC15 was allowed inside the secured lift station, where district staff showed how the system is designed to control odors. The district also demonstrated hydrogen sulfide monitoring equipment, saying current readings show zero parts per million, indicating the air, while smelly, is considered safe at the facility.
“Now that we have over 1,500 homes connected, we recently turned on some new pumps, and we believe that’s what’s causing some of the odors,” said Darron Anglin with the Apache Junction Sewer District.
To better understand what neighbors are smelling, the district has installed odor sensors throughout the neighborhood for 24-hour monitoring.
“They basically have a small pump in there that pulls in the ambient air,” Anglin said.
Anglin also acknowledged delays in responding to complaints, saying the district is considering creating a separate way for people to make odor complaints and improving response times going forward.
“Unfortunately, the odor complaints didn’t get picked up until early this week,” he said.
ABC15 has also learned an assistant manager with Maricopa County has sent a letter to the state requesting help. The letter asks the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality to investigate the odor complaints and determine whether further action is needed.
Until answers come, residents say they’re stuck indoors, holding their breath.
“Look at this terrain, it’s beautiful. We love to be outside,” Shattuck said. “We can’t be outside right now because of the fear of getting sick. And more importantly, we don’t know what it is.”
The Apache Junction Sewer District says it expects results from the odor sensors within the next two weeks.
