Kansas City takes new approach to stinky sewage drains

For nearly 20 years, Kansas City has added chemical fragrance blocks to sewers to help with the summer odor

For nearly 20 years, Kansas City has added chemical fragrance blocks to sewers to help with the summer odor

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For nearly 20 years, Kansas City has added chemical fragrance blocks to sewers to help with the summer odor

For nearly 20 years, Kansas City has added chemical fragrance blocks to sewers to help with the summer odor.

The city is taking a new approach to areas with the most complaints.“It gets hot and steamy downtown. Those sewers are really noticeable," Steve Fanning with the Quaff Bar & Grill said. Good thing it's a cool, windy Tuesday outside The Quaff Sports bar. A smelly sewer just down the street won't be kicking out odors on this day or many other days the rest of the summer.

“We've been taking a more data-driven proactive approach to make sure our sewers smell better," City Manager Brian Platt said.

Platt says they're doing that by adding chemical blocks to drains to help fight the odor.

“Mold, and fungus and mildew and odors and insects. All the things that caused those smells," Platt said.

It can be a stinky problem.

Platt says it's part of the recently passed $750 million sewer and water bond that he says will lead to a reduction in noticeable smells.

The city says stinky sewers are one of the biggest complaints they get all year.

That's because folks like Kieana King, who lives near one of these drains, have to deal with them every day.

"It's bad. It's just bad," King said.

Platt says the new chemical drain packs already added in targeted areas are making a difference.

“We're hearing that some of the smellier areas historically are smelling better these days," Platt said.

That's like a whiff of fresh air to businesses like the Quaff.

“We used to have Folgers Coffee down the street, and you could smell the coffee, and now you just smell the sewers, so any help would be great," Fanning said.

The city says the mesh bag blocks are hung from the top of the sewer and dissolve over time, then are replaced after two months.