The cause of a strong sewage smell on the west side of Butler is a combination of weather and old plumbing, according to the Butler Area Sewer Authority.
The authority has received complaints over the last few months about a horrid smell, particularly near Columbia Street.
“We certainly take these complaints seriously,” Authority Executive Director Thomas Rockovich told our newsroom on Thursday. “We’re trying to address them in a reasonable fashion. We’re doing what we can to try to assist. It’s been several years since we’ve had such a long period of no flushing rains.”
According to Rockovich, the hard rains that have missed Butler for most of the past two months usually serve as a flushing agent for sewer lines and move waste that is sitting. In an effort to help with the smell, authority workers will be dispersing odor-attacking chemicals in their lines.
The sewer authority also noted that the higher number of complaints is not surprising due to the conditions of plumbing in some of Butler’s old houses. According to Rockovich, the authority will soon issue a statement to residents with details about actions that can be taken.
“We’re looking at trying to prepare something that would essentially instruct them as to some of the steps they can take to try to prevent odors from entering into their home,” he said.
The installation of the correct kinds of plumbing traps, especially in basement drains of older homes, can help limit the odors coming into houses during times without flushing rains.