What’s that smell? Study suggests Mount Dora wastewater plant not to blame
By Molly Duerig
January 8, 2025 at 3:26 PM EST
Data from an odor study now approaching the finish line in Mount Dora indicate the city’s wastewater plant on James P. Snell Drive may not be the source of an offensive chemical odor residents have complained about for years. But some residents and members of the city council aren’t fully confident in the study’s methodology, or its findings to date.
The study, which is in its final phase, is authored by consulting firm Kimley-Horn on behalf of the city. It began in May of last year, capturing data from 11 sensors installed at different locations, including four around the wastewater treatment plant.
The sensors detect airborne concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, a flammable gas that is “very toxic by inhalation,” according to the National Library of Medicine.
Members of Mount Dora City Council and Utilities and Plant Operations Director Andrew Marsian discussed the study’s fourth quarterly report, still in draft form, at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. There, Orange and Lake County residents also weighed in on how the odor is affecting their lives.
Speaking at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Tangerine resident Cynthia Breed said she wants to see more details about the methodology of the study pointing blame away from the wastewater plant. “I would like to see a little more transparency for the public,” she said. (1983x1092, AR: 1.815934065934066)
Vickie Hillier lives in Summerbrooke, a community just a couple miles away from the plant, where many residents have complained for years about the chemical odor. Hillier said recently, while taking her dog outside one night, the odor hit her especially hard.
“I about passed out,” Hillier said. “I mean, I got lightheaded. I got a migraine headache, and on top of that, I have COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], which makes my breathing worse.”
After living in the area for six years, Hillier said she is reaching her limit with the “horrific” odor, which is “just getting worse and worse.”
“I mean, it's getting to the point that we're going to sell our house and leave, you know, because it's just — you just can't stomach it anymore,” Hillier said.
Many others in the area echo similar concerns. Tangerine resident Linda Bramer said she’s struggled to breathe while driving by the wastewater plant, even with her car windows rolled up. Recently, the smell was so strong her dogs refused to go outside, Bramer said.
“It’s sad. We’ve had these issues for so long,” Bramer said.
The plant on James P. Snell Drive is one of two wastewater treatment facilities owned and operated by the City of Mount Dora. (4032x2268, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Although the Kimley-Horn study is still being finalized, preliminary findings indicate “there has not been enough information to support a correlation that the facility odors are traveling to residents,” according to a third-quarter report.
But odors at the wastewater plant are a known issue. The study itself is a requirement under a consent order executed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in November 2023, in response to nine violations the agency found at the plant, including failure “to operate the Facility in a manner to control objectionable odors.”
The consent order also cites failure to control objectionable odors at a collection system in Sullivan Ranch, a subdivision near the wastewater plant. Between May and November of last year, citizens could phone in odor reports for the study and “nearly 90% of the residential odor observations came from Sullivan Ranch and Stoneybrook Hills,” also near the plant.
Still, a definitive source for the odor remains elusive, and the finalized Kimley-Horn study might not ultimately identify one. The study was intended to determine specifically whether or not the city’s wastewater plant and/or collection system is responsible — not to “do an expansive search around the city of Mount Dora to find the odor,” attorney Patrick Brackins explained at Tuesday’s meeting.
“We have a moral obligation under our code to do that, but not under the consent order,” Brackins said.
The odor issue is top priority for recently-elected Mount Dora Mayor James Homich, he said. “What we're trying to do now is focus on the outside source, if there is an outside source for the odor: to find that, and then try to fix it.” (2000x1333, AR: 1.5003750937734435)
Moving forward, the city is now engaging with another firm, Halff, to try and identify the odor’s source. When District 5 representative Nate Walker asked why Halff wasn’t considered for the original study to begin with, city manager Vince Sandersfeld said at that time, the firm wasn’t on the city’s list of consultants.
Chiming in, Brackins added: “FDEP would probably not have wanted to delay the consent order for 60 or 90 days while we did a competitive solicitation.”
For his part, Mount Dora Mayor James Homich said he’s disappointed in the Kimley-Horn report so far.
“We don't have definitive data right now that shows exactly where the smell is coming from. It's disappointing that the Kimley report, to me, hasn't come up with any type of conclusion as to that issue,” Homich said.
About thirty people gathered for Tuesday night’s City Council meeting in Mount Dora. (4032x2268, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Some residents are suspicious of the study’s methodology, in part because they say sensors around the wastewater plant were installed too high off the ground to capture accurate readings. Hydrogen sulfide is heavy: heavier than air, making it deadly in low-lying and confined spaces, like mines and sewers.
Kimley-Horn’s expected final report should provide more clarity on the study’s methodologies, Brackins said. In the meantime, city officials are focused on moving forward, including by investing in strategies to reduce odors at the plant.
Bramer, who’s lived in Tangerine for about 17 years, said despite her frustrations with the odor, she’s encouraged by Homich’s approach to addressing it. Before Homich, the city’s last two prior mayors “flat-out denied” any odor and didn’t take citizens’ concerns seriously, Bramer said.
“We’re very thankful now that we have a mayor who listens to us,” Bramer said. “He said he’s going to bring it up, on every city council meeting on the agenda until it’s resolved.”
Now that the fourth-quarter report is done, the next step is to submit a final, comprehensive report to FDEP for review. That should be done within the next month, according to Kimley-Horn. From there, any upgrades determined to be necessary for the wastewater plant should be underway within the next year, per the firm.
The study, which is in its final phase, is authored by consulting firm Kimley-Horn on behalf of the city. It began in May of last year, capturing data from 11 sensors installed at different locations, including four around the wastewater treatment plant.
The sensors detect airborne concentrations of hydrogen sulfide, a flammable gas that is “very toxic by inhalation,” according to the National Library of Medicine.
Members of Mount Dora City Council and Utilities and Plant Operations Director Andrew Marsian discussed the study’s fourth quarterly report, still in draft form, at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting. There, Orange and Lake County residents also weighed in on how the odor is affecting their lives.
Speaking at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting, Tangerine resident Cynthia Breed said she wants to see more details about the methodology of the study pointing blame away from the wastewater plant. “I would like to see a little more transparency for the public,” she said. (1983x1092, AR: 1.815934065934066)
Vickie Hillier lives in Summerbrooke, a community just a couple miles away from the plant, where many residents have complained for years about the chemical odor. Hillier said recently, while taking her dog outside one night, the odor hit her especially hard.
“I about passed out,” Hillier said. “I mean, I got lightheaded. I got a migraine headache, and on top of that, I have COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], which makes my breathing worse.”
After living in the area for six years, Hillier said she is reaching her limit with the “horrific” odor, which is “just getting worse and worse.”
“I mean, it's getting to the point that we're going to sell our house and leave, you know, because it's just — you just can't stomach it anymore,” Hillier said.
Many others in the area echo similar concerns. Tangerine resident Linda Bramer said she’s struggled to breathe while driving by the wastewater plant, even with her car windows rolled up. Recently, the smell was so strong her dogs refused to go outside, Bramer said.
“It’s sad. We’ve had these issues for so long,” Bramer said.
The plant on James P. Snell Drive is one of two wastewater treatment facilities owned and operated by the City of Mount Dora. (4032x2268, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Although the Kimley-Horn study is still being finalized, preliminary findings indicate “there has not been enough information to support a correlation that the facility odors are traveling to residents,” according to a third-quarter report.
But odors at the wastewater plant are a known issue. The study itself is a requirement under a consent order executed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection in November 2023, in response to nine violations the agency found at the plant, including failure “to operate the Facility in a manner to control objectionable odors.”
The consent order also cites failure to control objectionable odors at a collection system in Sullivan Ranch, a subdivision near the wastewater plant. Between May and November of last year, citizens could phone in odor reports for the study and “nearly 90% of the residential odor observations came from Sullivan Ranch and Stoneybrook Hills,” also near the plant.
Still, a definitive source for the odor remains elusive, and the finalized Kimley-Horn study might not ultimately identify one. The study was intended to determine specifically whether or not the city’s wastewater plant and/or collection system is responsible — not to “do an expansive search around the city of Mount Dora to find the odor,” attorney Patrick Brackins explained at Tuesday’s meeting.
“We have a moral obligation under our code to do that, but not under the consent order,” Brackins said.
The odor issue is top priority for recently-elected Mount Dora Mayor James Homich, he said. “What we're trying to do now is focus on the outside source, if there is an outside source for the odor: to find that, and then try to fix it.” (2000x1333, AR: 1.5003750937734435)
Moving forward, the city is now engaging with another firm, Halff, to try and identify the odor’s source. When District 5 representative Nate Walker asked why Halff wasn’t considered for the original study to begin with, city manager Vince Sandersfeld said at that time, the firm wasn’t on the city’s list of consultants.
Chiming in, Brackins added: “FDEP would probably not have wanted to delay the consent order for 60 or 90 days while we did a competitive solicitation.”
For his part, Mount Dora Mayor James Homich said he’s disappointed in the Kimley-Horn report so far.
“We don't have definitive data right now that shows exactly where the smell is coming from. It's disappointing that the Kimley report, to me, hasn't come up with any type of conclusion as to that issue,” Homich said.
About thirty people gathered for Tuesday night’s City Council meeting in Mount Dora. (4032x2268, AR: 1.7777777777777777)
Some residents are suspicious of the study’s methodology, in part because they say sensors around the wastewater plant were installed too high off the ground to capture accurate readings. Hydrogen sulfide is heavy: heavier than air, making it deadly in low-lying and confined spaces, like mines and sewers.
Kimley-Horn’s expected final report should provide more clarity on the study’s methodologies, Brackins said. In the meantime, city officials are focused on moving forward, including by investing in strategies to reduce odors at the plant.
Bramer, who’s lived in Tangerine for about 17 years, said despite her frustrations with the odor, she’s encouraged by Homich’s approach to addressing it. Before Homich, the city’s last two prior mayors “flat-out denied” any odor and didn’t take citizens’ concerns seriously, Bramer said.
“We’re very thankful now that we have a mayor who listens to us,” Bramer said. “He said he’s going to bring it up, on every city council meeting on the agenda until it’s resolved.”
Now that the fourth-quarter report is done, the next step is to submit a final, comprehensive report to FDEP for review. That should be done within the next month, according to Kimley-Horn. From there, any upgrades determined to be necessary for the wastewater plant should be underway within the next year, per the firm.