Out in Mount Dora, east of U.S. Highway 441, a strong odor has plagued the nasal passages of area residents for years.
The smell, described by Mount Dora Mayor James Homich as “more industrial than sewer”, has been a consistent source of annoyance and confusion for those in the city.
In an effort to target the cause of the smell, the City of Mount Dora and Lake County have each pitched in $135,000 towards an odor evaluation study that officials believe could be the first step in eliminating the stench for good.
City officials chose consulting firm Halff to lead the study, with California-based V&A Consulting Engineers subcontracting to help complete background reviews and project management duties among other tasks.
The study will address “odor conditions and likely odor sources” near Sullivan Ranch, Stoneybrook and areas close to the junction of U.S. 441 and State Road 46.
“Preliminary indications show that they’re narrowing down the source and it seems to be pointing in a certain direction, but any conclusion is premature,” Homich said. “We’ll get kind of a status report to see how far along they are and how close they are to getting a final report.”
Over the years, multiple locations have been suspected as the source of the odor, particularly the Mid-Florida Materials landfill on SR 46 and the city’s wastewater treatment plant along James P. Snell Drive off U.S. 441.
The city of Mount Dora then took steps to help rectify the odor over the years, including the installation of a $500,000 carbon biofilter in 2022 and the addition of monitors to detect hydrogen sulfide, suspected as a potential source of the smell, at its wastewater treatment plant in March 2023.
Despite adding a chemical process tank and technology to neutralize the hydrogen sulfide levels in sewage entering the plant later that year, the smell persisted and FDEP issued a consent order requiring the city ramp up odor mitigation efforts in November 2023.
The result was a study, authored by consulting firm Kimley-Horn, to determine whether the city’s wastewater treatment plant was the source of the smell.
Findings from the Kimley-Horn study, as indicated in its third-quarter report, note that the odor is “highly unlikely to be coming from the wastewater and collections system”, according to the city’s October 2024 update.
The fourth and final report from Kimley-Horn, released in late January, also did not find enough information to support a definitive link between the wastewater treatment facility and the smell traveling toward Mount Dora residents.
Homich said many residents blamed the sewer plant and that the Kimley-Horn report confirmed the sewer plant was not the source, but provided no further information on where the source could be.
“So that’s how we got into this study with Lake County, because a section of Lake County is affected by it,” he said. “Sullivan Ranch is in Lake County, not Mount Dora, so they got on board with us as we really took the lead in trying to find the source.”
With an expected total of $270,520 dedicated towards the new study between Lake County and the city of Mount Dora, Homich said figuring out the source of the odor is paramount for city residents facing health concerns from the smell.
“It’s actually affecting the health of the residents,” he said. “Breathing, sleeping, they’re waking up with headaches, that type of thing… it’s obviously something that needs to be addressed for their health and safety.”
At the onset of the project, V&A will be joined by sensory evaluation lab company St. Croix Sensory Inc. to put together an Odor Investigation Team comprised of local Halff and city staff. The team will be trained in odor characterization, plume tracking and other techniques by St. Croix Sensory, including using a tool called a “Nasal Ranger.”
The team will tour high-complaint areas, forward daily observations and reports to V&A for compilation and collect data for to be analyzed in a summary report at conclusion of the planning period.
V&A has the option to embed one staff member in the Sullivan Ranch community or nearby to participate in the team. If possible, according to the scope of services planned by the study, the V&A staff member could be housed in a RV in Sullivan Ranch, with the city providing the RV location and utilities hook-ups for power, water and sewer services during their stay.
A total of $9,000, or about $1,500 over 6 weeks, is the estimated cost of an Airbnb or RV rental for the staff member, according to Halff’s estimate of allocated resources.
If and when the source of the smell is determined through this most recent study, Homich said he expects there to be a “tough battle” to regulate whatever is producing it.
“There’s going to be additional battles to be waged once we have the final report,” he said. “Hopefully, once we have the data for [FDEP], they’ll step in and do their job of regulating and stopping whoever is producing it.”
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at jwilkins@orlandosentinel.com or 407-754-4980. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.
