THE PROBLEM: If the nose didn't confirm it, the flies would.
THE SITE: A Street, Golden Hill
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Something foul is bubbling up onto A Street between 33rd and 34th streets in San Diego. It's right next to a “School Ahead” sign for Golden Hill Elementary, just around the corner.
On Friday morning, it appeared as a narrow, 14-foot-long patch of moisture, flowing downhill, with the distinct odor of sewage. Jeanie St. Laurent and Florence Davich, who both live on A Street, say the blotch gets much bigger at times.
St. Laurent said the patch appears every morning, seemingly timed with the day's heaviest use of showers and bathroom facilities. Then it tapers off and evaporates, only to return the next day.
“This has been going on since last November or December,” Davich said. “The smell is horrendous. Sometimes I have to close my window.”
St. Laurent and Davich say the Metropolitan Wastewater Department already has been out to conduct dye tests from nearby residents' bathroom facilities, but nothing came up.
It has been weeks since they have heard anything from city personnel. Meanwhile, they worry about any bacteria that may be present in the seepage and the hazard to children walking to and from the school.
STATUS: Brian Drummy, senior public information officer for the Metropolitan Wastewater Department, said Friday that emergency response workers would be rechecking the area over the weekend. He promised to report on their findings.
WHO'S RESPONSIBLE: Depending on the cause of the problem, it could be the Wastewater Department, the Water Department or the Street Division, Drummy said. For emergency repairs to sewage lines, residents should call (619) 515-3525.
UPDATE: The North County Transit District board last week voted to ban smoking at all stations along the Sprinter and Coaster rail lines, as well as more than 2,000 bus stops. The issue was the subject of the Aug. 25 Just Fix It column.
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