Twin Falls is making a long-term commitment to addressing persistent sewer odors that have plagued sections of the city, with crews preparing permanent odor scrubber installations and officials urging residents to stay engaged by reporting foul smells through the city’s website.
The City Council recently received a briefing on the progress of the odor mitigation effort, which centers on controlling hydrogen sulfide gas escaping from the sewer system. The gas originates primarily from the Grandview Trunk Line on the west side of town — a major sewer corridor that has been a focus of city efforts to reduce the smell reaching nearby neighborhoods and streets.
Three Scrubbers Working, Two Going Permanent
Twin Falls currently operates three odor scrubbers designed to neutralize sewer gases before they reach the surface. The city has been testing a mobile air scrubber at various locations to identify where permanent installations would do the most good. That process has now led to a plan for two permanent scrubbers: one positioned south of downtown and another placed farther north, closer to the canyon rim.
Site preparation is already underway at the intersection of Federation and Grandview, where the first permanent scrubber is being installed. City officials are targeting the end of July for that unit to become fully operational. The second permanent installation will follow at a northern location still being finalized.
The city’s public works team also reported that the volume of odor complaints submitted through the city’s website has decreased since the scrubbers were first introduced — a sign that the equipment is making a measurable difference, even as officials acknowledge the work is far from finished.
City Asks Residents to Keep Reporting Smells
Alongside the hardware upgrades, city officials are pressing residents to actively participate in the monitoring process by submitting reports whenever they notice problems. A “Report An Odor” form is available directly on the city’s homepage, allowing residents to flag specific locations and times when smells are detected. That data helps crews identify where odors are escaping and determine whether additional mitigation is needed.
Nathan Erikson, the city official overseeing the odor response, made clear that installing scrubbers does not mean the problem is solved. “There is no mission accomplished here as far as odors in the city — we will continue to address them as they come in,” he said during the council update. He also stressed that residents play a crucial role in keeping the program effective: “If there’s an issue, you need to let us know — they need to speak up.”
Beyond the scrubbers themselves, the city is also working with industrial users who discharge into the sewer system. Officials are pursuing voluntary changes from those businesses aimed at reducing the chemical load that contributes to hydrogen sulfide generation. Reducing the source of the gas, rather than simply treating it at the surface, is seen as a key piece of the long-term strategy.
Part of a Broader Infrastructure Push
The odor mitigation program is one of several infrastructure projects moving forward in Twin Falls this summer. Highway 30 within the city is undergoing a year-long resurfacing effort that began in late June, and the city recently installed physical barriers on Washington Street to address dangerous turning violations — both examples of the city addressing quality-of-life and safety concerns through targeted infrastructure investment.
For sewer odors specifically, the permanent scrubber at Federation and Grandview represents the most significant step yet toward giving residents on the west side of town sustained relief from a problem that has drawn complaints for years.
What Comes Next
City crews are working toward the end-of-July operational deadline for the Federation and Grandview scrubber. Officials will continue evaluating the best placement for the second permanent unit and will keep engaging industrial sewer users on voluntary reduction measures. Residents experiencing odor issues are encouraged to visit the Twin Falls city website and use the “Report An Odor” form to help officials track and respond to ongoing concerns. City leadership has signaled that odor management will remain an active priority well beyond the current round of installations.