City continuing investigation into intermittent sewer odors affecting Ward 4; tests so far show normal sewage readings

Mentor City Council on Oct. 7 received an update from city staff on an ongoing investigation into intermittent foul odors reported in Ward 4 and the Woodhill subdivision. Staff described a sequence of tests and repairs but said the source remains undetermined.

Why it matters: Residents in the affected neighborhood have reported repeated odor events, often in early morning or evening hours. Foul sanitary sewer odors can indicate public‑health or infrastructure issues; city staff are working with the Lake County General Health District and the Ohio EPA and have taken steps to identify the source.

What the city has done

City staff reported they have flushed and televised the sanitary sewer in the area and found no blockages. They smoke‑tested the system to identify leaking manholes, repaired two private manhole covers, and sealed manholes. Manhole scrubber devices were installed to reduce odors; staff described the devices as similar to charcoal filters. Air quality monitoring at several locations is being conducted twice daily; readings reported through the previous Friday were described as normal. The city reported they doubled the ferric chloride dosage upstream — a chemical measure intended to prevent hydrogen sulfide formation — and collected sewage samples that returned results consistent with normal residential waste streams.

Testing and outside support

The city has retained an outside industrial waste specialist to investigate and said that specialist was scheduled to begin work the day of the meeting. Staff said they are also conducting air monitoring at a manhole near a Hardy Road industrial site and continuing odor surveillance in the neighborhood. City staff have been coordinating with the Ohio EPA and the Lake County General Health District.

Possible non‑sewer sources and next steps

Staff noted that some have suggested the marsh area as a possible source; city staff said they would expect more widespread complaints if the marsh were the source but also noted at least one report of a similar odor in a neighboring subdivision to the south. Staff said they do not intend to stop the sewer‑system investigation and will continue testing; they expect further follow‑up from the outside specialist and from county/state partners.

Resident concerns and council response

Councilors said the issue remains a priority for affected constituents and asked staff to continue regular updates. Staff said they will forward resident logs (including a city employee’s log of observations) and encourage residents to report incidents directly to the utilities department so data can be correlated with odor events.

Provenance

The sewer‑odor update and council discussion appear in the meeting transcript between roughly 1820 and 2217 seconds. Staff remarks and testing details were presented by the city manager and public‑works/utility staff during the manager’s report and subsequent council questions.

What remains unresolved

As of the meeting, no single source had been confirmed and no remedial construction action beyond ongoing monitoring and targeted repairs had been taken. Staff said they would report back with findings from the industrial waste specialist and with any further test results.