TYLER, Texas — On Wednesday, the Tyler City Council was presented with the 2023 City of Tyler Wastewater Treatment Plants Master Plan by Tyler Water Utilities and engineering frim, Garver.
The plan focuses on project funding for upgrades to the city's Westside and Southside Wastewater Treatment Plants.
In the proposal are new measures for odor control for both facilities. Residents who live near the southside plant on Cumberland Road say the stench that comes from the area lingers into surrounding neighborhoods.
CBS19 first covered the issue in February 2022 and how the smell led to a "Stop The Stink Cumberland" campaign.
Lisa Villareal said she moved into her home around five years ago and that the smell hasn't gotten any better.
"It really wasn't as bad five years ago as it is now," Villareal said. "It seems like it's gotten progressively worse in the last two to three years and so it wasn't as bad then. You only smelled it on certain day."
Villareal said the smell doesn't just impact her neighborhood, but also Faulkner Park.
"It bothers me because we're growing so fast and I hate to see that people wouldn't come to our area, or we wouldn't get softball tournaments, or we wouldn't get other tourism because of the smell," Villareal said.
Emmanuel Ngwang said this presentation of a possible solution is something he’s glad to hear.
"Planning to do something I think is the right steps," Ngwang said. "I'm concerned about the time but at least if something is being done about it I'm appreciative of the fact that something is been done to take care of that problem."
This plan also hopes to create a solution to the continuous growth of the city and aims to keep the plants up to future required operating standards.
"I just want to see our city do the best it can do," Villareal said. "I want it to grow the right way and I just think that we can do better."
The city has been working with Garver on this master plan starting in 2021. If approved, city officials hope to complete these upgrades through four phases.