The Watchdog: What's that smell?

Problem: Something stinks

An Edgewater resident, catching a cross breeze while driving north on Route 2, smelled trouble recently - but the source of the trouble was still eluding her.

It caught her nose when she passed the Annapolis Harbour Center, heading downhill, right before getting to the Woodbridge Center strip mall.

"It always smells of septic," Dawn Dellinger said in an e-mail about the area. "What in the world could that be?"

Solution: Funk finders

The Watchdog has been on many trails, but never has she sniffed out a civic odor complaint: The bar was set.

Elin Jones, a spokeswoman for the county Health Department, checked in with the department's Environmental Health Division.

The environmental health experts said residents who have ever been outside and have asked the question, "What's that unusual smell?" should direct inquiries to the Maryland State Air Quality office.

The Maryland State Air Quality office usually deals with ground-level ozone, but its purview also encompasses air pollutants.

Maryland State Air Quality staff can be reached at 410-537-3215.

But since Dellinger said the smell seemed to be of a septic aroma, the mystery was passed on to the county Department of Public Works.

Matthew Diehl, a county spokesman for Public Works, took an opportunity Tuesday morning to walk the area where Dellinger caught the offensive whiff.

Though Diehl said he couldn't detect the smell himself during that time, he said he would have sewage inspectors take a look into the issue.

After all, the description of this eau de toillette seems to be of the toilet variety.

It turns out that directly behind the Woodbridge Center is the Parole Pumping Station, although the station is not visible from the highway.

Diehl said an inspector made sure the two odor-control systems there were working properly.

"The systems were in order," Diehl said Thursday. "We've gotten a couple of complaints in the past about a smell, but nothing recently."

Diehl added the station operators have a good relationship with the Woodbridge management and have asked the staff to just let the county know if they ever encounter something unpleasant wafting their way.

Diehl said he encourages any residents who smell something they believe is sewage to contact the county at 410-222-8400.

"A lot of times, that's how we identify problems," he said.

E-mail complaints to Elisha Sauers at esauers@capitalgazette.com or call her at 410-280-5932. Remember to leave your name and daytime phone number, and she'll get back to you as soon as possible.