Sewage odors cause a stink

Residents of north Tel Baruch are furious that their upmarket new neighborhood is being beset by the foul smell of sewage.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
Residents of north Tel Baruch are furious that their upmarket new neighborhood is being beset by the foul smell of sewage, reports the Hebrew weekly Yediot Tel Aviv. And the residents are blaming the city of Tel Aviv for the problem, saying it is absurd that a newly constructed sewerage system cannot cope with the waste produced in the area. According to the report, the overpowering odors are distressing residents by day and by night. "You go out with the dog for a walk, or take your child to kindergarten, and you are hit straight in the face with this smell," one resident said. "The smells are becoming stronger and stronger. It is absurd that in this new neighborhood, where the residents are supposed to enjoy the best services and infrastructure in the city, there are problems more suitable to those of decades ago." A municipal spokesman said in response that the city had checked the municipal sewerage lines in the area and had found them to be in order. The spokesman said the odors seemed to stem from the sewerage system inside the area's commercial center, and that this would be thoroughly checked and the center's owners would be presented with repair demands. In the meantime, the spokesman said some drains in the neighborhood's streets would be covered to help alleviate the problem.