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Residents report persistent sewage odor on 26th Street; borough says developers to add chemicals as interim fix
Summary
Residents raised renewed complaints about a sewage odor on 26th Street. Borough staff said they met with Allen Township and the developer and plan to add chemicals to the flow as a temporary mitigation while longer-term fixes tied to development build-out proceed.
Residents told the Borough of Northampton council they continue to smell sewage near 26th Street and asked what the borough has done to address the problem. "We wanted to know, what steps has been taken to address and resolve the issue," an unidentified resident asked during public comment.
A borough representative said staff met with Allen Township and the developers last week and that the developers will add chemicals to the sewage flow to reduce the odor while they complete a plan and obtain materials. "They will be putting chemicals in that will dilute and get rid of the smell," the borough representative said.
Residents and other participants described why the problem persists. Dal Vonick, who identified himself during public comment, said the odor is intermittent: "Sometimes you don't smell it, sometimes you do." Another participant explained the technical problem in more detail, saying that of about 130 houses planned for the development only roughly 25 are built so far, leaving insufficient flow to keep pump stations cycling: "There's not enough flow to keep the pumps going… it's gonna be a short-cycling pump," the participant said, adding that longer holding times in the tank allow sewage to become septic and produce odor.
Council members and staff described the chemical treatment as a temporary, masking/dilution measure to be reduced as additional houses come online and flow increases. The borough representative said the chemicals are not intended as a permanent full-time treatment: they will be "cut back" as build-out increases and pumps cycle more frequently.
No formal action was taken at the meeting on this agenda item. Residents asked the borough to notify the community when mitigation begins so residents do not need to travel to Allen Township for updates. The discussion ended with borough staff saying they will announce when the developers begin the chemical treatment and that they will continue to monitor the situation and pursue repairs tied to the sewer build-out and pump operations.
