Kristen and Jeffrey Montez moved back to Pacific Beach this April, and immediately noticed something had changed. A strange smell, described as being “sulfurous” or “like rotten eggs,” had spread to fill parts of the neighborhood. Kristen organized a community meeting last week, and it quickly became clear that they weren’t the only ones smelling it. The odor seemed to affect a wide swath of houses east of Lamont Street and south of Grand Avenue. It was also clear that the smell wasn’t centralized, nor did it seem to be focused around any notable landmarks. In some places, such as Morrell and Thomas streets, the smell is stronger, while in others it’s weaker. Some of the people at the meeting had been living with it for weeks, while others hadn’t noticed it at all.
The technical term for the smell, as it turns out, is a BSO, or bad sewer odor. The city has a department dedicated to locating and eradicating BSOs, and they’ve been extremely helpful in dealing with the smell. Kristen has organized several meetings with city supervisors, and has called maintenance workers to the neighborhood on multiple occasions, where they’ve done their best to find the source of the odor. Their efforts have yielded mixed results. One possible culprit is a string of defective manhole covers, and the city has approached the problem by sealing the manholes with asphalt and silicon. Though on some streets this does work, either partially or completely, Kristen reports that the smell around their property is as strong as ever.
“It doesn’t feel like we’re at a dead end,” Kristen said. “The city has been very responsive, and they’re confident that with enough time, they can find the source of the issue.” And if anyone else smells a BSO outside their house? “Call,” Kristen said. “Being persistent means keeping them informed [about] an ongoing, chronic problem.” Bad smells?
To report a BSO, call City of San Diego Sewer Dispatch at 619-527-7660.