Sewage still stinks, but smell improving, says Stratford mayor

While there is a smell coming for the Stratford sewage lagoon this spring, Mayor David Dunphy thinks it has improved significantly from last year.

Last summer the town installed something called the blue frog system, to help fix the odour problem. The technology is designed to break down sewage, reduce the bad smell, and improve the quality of water leaving the lagoon.

Dunphy is pleased with how the system is working so far.

"This odour is definitely less this year than it was last year. So, the system is working and we're confident that the system is minimizing as much as possible odours," he said.

"In the springtime, when you go from a colder temperature to warmer temperatures, you will get a bit of a turnover. It's just part of the system and you will get some odour and so our goal is to minimize as much as possible that odour."

The blue frog system cost the Town of Stratford $1.5 million.

Some in Stratford say they're surprised the smell hasn't improved more. They think it's as pungent as last year.

Roy Anderson works nearby. "I don't think it's any better than it was last year. Not a bit," he said. "I don't know what these things over here are supposed to do, but they're not taking away the smell." 

Eileen Curran lives in the area. She said the odour is as bad as ever. "If something could be done about it we certainly would appreciate it. We do pay a lot of taxes here," she said. "Put it this way: if I was a tourist, I don't think I'd be choosing to buy a home in this area."