GLENPOOL, Okla. — Immanuel Payne has a Bradford pear tree in his front yard.
Chances are, he would rather be smelling the tree than the nearby sewage plant.
"That’s not a good smell to welcome people. I mean, honestly, I feel like we can do better," Payne said.
The odor coming from Glenpool’s sewage plant comes from specific chemical reactions and the sheer volume of water. About 1.5 million gallons are processed each day. Wind directions and weather can change things up. The smell was not noticeable Friday afternoon, but when the wind comes sweeping down the plain, it didn’t smell so sweet.
"We acknowledge that. Be patient with us as we move forward we are working to rectify it as quickly as we can," City Manager David Tillotson said during a Friday press conference.
He promises change is on the way. A new mechanical-style plant will replace the current lagoon-style facility. The new $60 million facility is being built in a wooded area directly next to the current lagoon.
With different operations, Tillotson expects at least a couple of new jobs to come with it. However, neighbors want the smell gone before 2026.
"The smell is just freaking horrible it’s pretty strong and pungent," Payne said, "Every time I’m coming into Glenpool it just hits me."
Tillotson can empathize.
"We smell it even here at city hall from time to time depending on which direction the winds are out of," Tillotson said, "Coming to work, even this morning, we had an odor, a sewer odor, at our city hall complex."
He didn’t promise any timeline but said the city is consulting with engineers and scientists about it all. Making every effort to have it gone sooner rather than later.
"You breathe it enough, you get used to it that doesn’t mean that the smell’s gone away," Payne said, "The smells still there, we’re just getting used to it. And that’s something you don’t want to get used to."
Glenpool neighbors are already used to crazy weather and pesky Oklahoma allergies. They will pass on the crazy smells.
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