TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — While many people enjoyed the smells of Christmas dinner, residents in the Lake Pointe neighborhood feared their meal would be ruined by “fart smells” that can “make your eyes water.”
For years, around 70 homes in the west Travis County neighborhood have dealt with a wastewater treatment plant built just yards from their backdoors.
“There have been many days when it’s impossible to be (outside). It feels unsafe. It’s like the smell is so strong and so gross that like, it’s really unpleasant,” said Amanda Wilton-Green, a Lake Pointe resident who lives a few yards from the plant.
Issues at the plant, including busted pipes and broken machinery, have grown more frequent as the facility nears the end of its life. With each incident, the smell of sewage fills the air.
While the people in charge of the plant are quick to address issues as they occur, neighbors are desperate for a timeline that will see the removal of the plant from their neighborhood.