Back in early September, crews started smoke testing in Lexington to tackle the issue of a strong sewage smell, at times, taking over neighborhoods.
Contractors pushed non-toxic white smoke into manholes, and if a sewer pipe was cracked or broken, smoke came up from the ground.
The smoke testing wrapped up a few weeks ago, but residents are still voicing concerns.
“Over the last couple of weeks, it seems like we’ve had an uptick in odor complaints and that concerns me,” Charles Martin, Lexington Director of Water Quality, said.
Smoke testing started Sept. 9, first in Meadowthorpe, followed by Cumberland Hill and Pinnacle. Martin pointed out results, particularly in Meadowthorpe.
“What we found in the older neighborhood, we did get smoke in people’s houses which you shouldn’t have that happen. In some of the newer neighborhoods we did later on, when we talked last, didn’t find that kind of problem,” Martin noted.
In September, at Cumberland Hill, Martin described odor complaints similar to burned sulfur or a wet book of matches.