Why is there often a sewer odor present in the downtown area?
Downtown Columbus and surrounding neighborhoods such as Victorian and German Villages are served by combined sewers, which was the building practice when those areas were developed. In a combined system, stormwater and wastewater flow to a single pipe. The storm drains on the street that allow the water to flow in unfortunately also allow odor to emit. The odor is often more prevalent in hot, dry weather. An engineering study is underway to identify solutions such as bio-filters to reduce the odor. As redevelopment opportunities are presented, the sewers are often separated.
