A group of Moose Jaw residents pressure council into action on the foul odour that lingers over the West Side of the city.

 

A group of concerned citizens gathered at City Hall Monday night to pressure council into fixing the current sewer gas problem on the West Side of the city.

Residents on the far west end of Athabasca Street and Stadacona have been dealing with foul smelling gas for several years according to the group, but this summer was the last straw. The odour is so powerful at times residents refuse to go outside due to the heavy gas wafting from sewer stacks and they can't go into their basements because that's where the gas, known as H2S, likes to collect.

H2S is a colorless gas that smells like rotten eggs. When low levels of H2S are found, like 50 parts per million here in Moose Jaw, effects in humans are a loss of smell and eye irritation. In some cases dizziness, coughing, and headache are found.

When high levels are found, usually greater the 300 parts per million, the effects can be loss of smell, paralysis of the lungs, and even death when in a poorly ventilated area

Derek Kletzel was one of the people who turned out to learn microorganisms living in the sewer pipe are causing the noxious odour. "The biggest concern for the neighbourhood is the health and safety of our loved ones, our children, our family members, as well as anyone else on the street. It’s a health concern and we hope that it’s taken care of relatively quick."

Kletzel says he feels bad about not letting his kids go outside in the backyard to play but fears for their safety. Instead, his kids have to wait for him to get home from work and get some stuff done there before he takes them to the park several blocks away.

The city has promised that a short-term solution is expected to be in place in a few days in the form of an aeration system to prevent the bacteria from growing and producing the gases the neighbourhood is experiencing. Then the task is to find a long-term solution that could include replacing a very large section of sewer pipe coming from XL Beef. The bacteria are feeding off of the waste produced by the local beef plant effectively creating a cow's intestine under our city.

A detailed report is expected to be ready in a month or so but that will be too late for this council to deal with as the civic election is fast approaching.