<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A Western Australian </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/odour-expert-investigates-kalgoorlie-boulder-mysterious-smell/48458068-9f2a-4296-b11e-9859bf398971" rel="" target="_blank" title="town that was forced to call in an odour expert"><span>town that was forced to call in an odour expert</span></a><span> to find the source of a mysterious smell is filling its lagoons up with lime to solve the issue.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Kalgoorlie-Boulder residents have been suffering through a strong smell since 2023, prompting the council to enlist OPAM consulting director Philippe Najean to sniff out its origin.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>His report earlier this year revealed several sources of the odour near each other south of Boulder, including the city's wastewater treatment plant.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/joshua-brown-call-for-unified-response-to-alleged-childcare-sexual-assaults/1992d57c-176b-4eda-b2d4-cc1fbeb692e7" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>'Won't be the last': Call for national response to alleged childcare sexual assaults</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The council had previously denied the notion that the smell was permeating from the wastewater plant.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In light of the findings, the council has implemented several measures to mitigate the smelly impacts on the community, including managing the lagoons at the facility.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Now that the country is well into winter, the council is adding lime into the lagoons to stabilise the pH levels and reduce odour. </span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/national/western-australia-kalgoorlie-boulder-stinky-town-notices-an-improvement-after-adding-lime-to-source-of-odour/9aaedbe6-66a5-46a6-86f2-3521881903c7" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Lower temperatures and reduced sunlight can cause the pH to drop, which increases the risk of odour being released into the surrounding environment," City of Kalgoorlie-Boulder chief executive Andrew Brien said.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"Lime is administered to the primary lagoons as needed, based on the city's proactive daily monitoring of pH levels.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"When levels fall outside the optimal range, lime is added to rebalance the system and mitigate odour emissions."</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/mental-health-toowoomba-momentum-closure-public-health-network-funding/b8a8889b-63de-4dec-ac43-ab6bdc65d3a1" rel="" target="_blank" title=""><strong><span>Fears for vulnerable Aussies as hub plan leaves mental health provider in limbo</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Brien said there has been a noticeable improvement this winter, compared to last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"pH levels have remained more consistent and within acceptable parameters, reducing the frequency of lime dosing required and supporting more effective odour control," he said. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The council has also been experimenting with mechanical aeration in the lagoons to improve oxygen levels and will replace its decades-old Intermittent Decanted Extended Aeration plant with a new one.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>These measures are hoped to add to the reduction of odour emissions. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Nearby industries and businesses also identified as sources of the odour have been given relevant pages of Najean's report to work on their own solutions to the problem.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Najean has been in the odour industry for almost 24 years and has his nose calibrated every six to 12 months at an olfactometry laboratory. </span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>"My main equipment is my nose because that's the best equipment you have to measure odours," he told 9news.com.au last year.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/how-to-follow-9news-digital/29855bb1-ad3d-4c38-bc25-3cb52af1216f"><em><strong><span>DOWNLOAD THE 9NEWS APP</span></strong></em></a><em><strong><span>: Stay across all the latest in breaking news, sport, politics and the weather via our news app and get notifications sent straight to your smartphone. 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