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Odor Reporting

What to Do if You Detect an Odor

If you detect an odor, please call our 24-hour response line: 651-290-6757.

Common sewer and wastewater treatment odors are:

• Rotten eggs
• Rotten or decayed cabbage
• Pungent, putrid, unpleasant odor
• Fishy
• Burnt
• Ammonia-like

Common causes of sewer odor are:

• Decomposing organic material in wastewater
• Bacterial growth in the collection system
• Malfunction of pumps, fans, or other equipment
• Warm temperatures
• Slow or low flows in collection system
• Dumping odorous chemicals or substances into the collection system.

MCES is committed to reducing odorous emissions. Please view our capital projects currently under way to make these improvements.