DES MOINES, Iowa — After years of research and decades of resident complaints, the city of Des Moines has taken the initiative to investigate the source of that foul smell breathing through your lungs on days you'd least expect.
The city installed 10 odor monitors the past few months in several locations on Maury and SE 18th streets around three businesses they've identified as "primary odor emitters."
"This has been a major pain point for Des Moines residents and business owners and stakeholders, our community stakeholders have been unhappy with this for decades," said Dalton Jacobus, Des Moines' neighborhood inspections administrator.
The monitors measure chemicals in the air like hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, two compounds associated with manure and wastewater. However, these aren't the official sources of the city's odors, the reason for installing the monitors: to determine the source of odor emissions in Des Moines.
Jacobus believes their odor enforcement program could touch hundreds of thousands of people in the area, something he said the city does "very few things" of.
Data gathering will take six months. That data, along with weather data and resident complaints, will then be used to model odor plumes allowing Jacobus and the city to see where odors travel and detect where it's likely coming from.
Once they determine the source, a recommendation will be brought to the city council to determine any fines against industries, or general next steps.
The city says its "end goal" is to set acceptable odor levels in the air, yet still gain compliance from industries in the area.
During the six-month data collection period, the city encourages residents to report any odors in their area. You can do this here, or call the odor hotline at 515-248-6367.
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