Notes from Town Square: The awful smell in town

Over the past few weeks, residents may have noticed some very foul odors coming from the Wastewater Treatment Plant on East Teton Boulevard. After extended warm periods, many bodies of water tend to “turnover,” allowing odors trapped in the deeper parts of the pool to come to the surface. This can happen 2-3 times a year. In a lake it is not as noticeable, and typically just contributes to a “fishy” smell. But at the Wastewater Treatment Plant, a turnover can smell much worse.

The Green River Wastewater Treatment Plant was originally constructed in 1962 as a single large lagoon. Prior to that,...