The Other Paper of Columbus, OH proclaims, “That’s not bison you smell”!
People that spend a significant time in downtown Columbus will notice that from time to time there is an odor infesting certain corners of the city. I have noticed this phenomenon on several occasions both at the corner of West Broad St. and High St. (just down from the Huntington Bank building) and in the Arena district. I had always attributed the smell to full dumpsters or people relieving themselves on the sidewalk, but the October 24-30 issue of the Other Paper sheds some light on the subject. Apparently the city planners of Columbus in their infinite wisdom combined the sewer system with the lines that carry rainwater. Creating an open-air sewer through most of downtown Columbus.
Brilliant!
If memory serves me, open sewers have contributed to some of the worst outbreaks of illness on record. Of course, in jest, I have told my friends in DC that Columbus is a crappy town. Now I have proof!
October 25th, 2002 at 1:39 pm
Actually, for what it’s worth, in most cities, the rain-water drainage system and the sewer are connected. Usually only so that the rain-water can use the sewer system as over flow, not the other way around. If you will remember, last year, there were some huge sewage back-ups in DC after some bad rains. This was the case of the systems cross-contaminating. This is not, however, an unusual practice.
What I think you’re reffering to is actualy open drainage, which I doubt any city in the western world has.
October 25th, 2002 at 2:40 pm
This isn’t an overflow system it is a shared system. Which is very different. Here is a choice quote from the article “covering the manhole covers wouldn’t work because high gas pressure underground would blow the covers sky high.” Also, “The Arena District smell particularly bad because of an opening at Spring and Marconi. The drier the weather the worse the smell. During droughts, not even tightly shut car windows help.”
It is entirely possibly that the designers of this process didn’t plan for droughts in the design, but from what I am reading it sounds like in the absence of regular rainwater the sewers are exposed to the open air, and therefore to pests such as mosquitoes and flies.
October 25th, 2002 at 4:24 pm
oh boy! plague!
October 26th, 2002 at 10:58 am
dude. that just sucks.
October 28th, 2002 at 6:14 pm
Oh wow, bad design. What DC does is “acceptable”, and common in major cities. But what you’re describing is um, bad. Dumb people.