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.