Engineering (Juris)Prudence - Insuring the Best Solution for Sewer Odors While Working Within the Conditions of a Settlement Agreement

The City of Los Angeles operates a very large sewer system which has a history of odor ventilation problems. In 2004, the City settled a lawsuit that included sewer odors. The settlement included a commitment by the City to construct seven Air Treatment Facilities (ATFs) and operate carbon scrubbers during the design and construction of the ATFs. During the design period, the City had experiences that cast doubts on some of the ATFs. As a result, the City felt it was necessary to step back and re-evaluate the proposed solution, but is currently obligated to build all ATFs per the settlement agreement. With the plaintiff's approval, the City has begun a two-year study of the ATFs and sewer odors in general. The City will continue to keep the plaintiffs involved so that at the end of the study, we will have a better understanding of the sewer odor problem and a solution that addresses our concerns and all parties agree to.