I get whiffs of sewage quite frequently in different locations throughout the city, and I don't understand why. How can the smell of sewage be coming out of storm drains?
The problem is that we have combined sewers and poor stormwater management. When it rains (and sometimes even when it doesn't) sewage mixes in the same pipes with stormwater and ultimately "overflows" into our rivers and Long Island Sound. This is why the WPCA is spending millions of dollars on sewer separation in New Haven (seen Trumbull Street lately?). There's a great website in development, reducerunoff.org, that has resources about how homeowners can reduce their stormwater impact. We all need to pitch in to solve this problem. If anyone is interested, the New Haven Bioregional Group is doing a walk along the West River this Saturday with CT Fund for the Environment to discuss our stormwater problem and what we can do about it. (Www.newhavenbioregionalgroup.org)
We have made several trips out to the area in hopes of finding the source, but no odors were found coming from the storm drains. As commented above by abgoode, the combined system may be the cause during some storms. Another possibility is that an animal died in the drain, but has since been flushed out. For now this issue is considered closed. If an issue still exists, please post again.
Thank you. It was probably a cracked gas line that was leaking under my neighbors lawn, with the gas migrating into the sewer. Since repaired, there has not been an issue.
10 Comments
John Fitzpatrick (Registered User)
Acknowledged Department of Public Works (Verified Official)
Dave (Registered User)
abgoode (Registered User)
Frank (Registered User)
Department of Public Works (Verified Official)
Rob Smuts (Registered User)
Engineering Department (Registered User)
Closed Engineering Department (Registered User)
Dave (Registered User)