Residents have been asking “what smells so bad?”
By Andrew Harris
For those living on the border of the City of Hornell, town of Hornellsville, and village of North Hornell things have gotten stinky, again.
The city has long provided wastewater service to a large dairy processing facility in Arkport, HP Hood. The waste from that facility travels about five miles before it enters the main City of Hornell sewer system. That distance requires multiple pump stations, also referred to as “lift stations,” to move the waste. The sewer line meets the city wastewater system near the North Hornell-City of Hornell line. A reader recently submitted this concerning question:
“Residents in the areas of the bowling alley and the southern end of N. Hornell have been tolerating a lot of odor for the past several weeks. It seems that there is an issue with the sewage system. It could be the lift stations themselves being too small to accommodate the level of sewage they take in or it could be some other reason. I know this system is at least 50 years old.
Can the Sun look into this and ask if anything is in the planning stages to eliminate this issue?”
We asked Mayor Buckley for his take and he was very quick to acknowledge that the problem has been ongoing and continues to frustrate. So much that he pointed out that the City of Hornell has recently issued seven Certificate of Violations to HP Hood in 2025. Each issuance ends with a warning to HP Hood:
Mayor Buckley suggested that we discuss the matter with the lead operator of the Wastewater Treatment Plant, Rich Dunning, who issued the Notices of Violation. Rich explained in-detail the challenges faced by all parties which boils down to some basic chemistry changes in the wastewater which flows from Arkport to the city.
“The ph levels of all wastewater are most critical to our modern day methods of collecting and treating our waste. To explain in layman’s terms, the ph of the wastewater needs to be maintained at a certain level to minimize bacteria growth, which produces the hydrogen sulfide that creates foul odors. When that ph level falls below that threshold, bacteria grows faster and stinks more.”
Dunning explained that since mid-2024, the ph levels in the sewer line running from Arkport to Hornell have dropped, and bacteria levels have increased. As that waste material enters the pump stations, the odors released are putrid to be polite. As the waste meets residential areas and enters the city system, the smell hits, creating serious quality of life issues.
The city wastewater team has conducted testing, received required reporting from HP Hood, and issued violations with no improvements. Dunning explains that regardless of the cause for this chemical imbalance, a solution is necessary and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation is involved and helping to solve the problem.
Mayor Buckley and Rich Dunning are confident their efforts to mitigate this stinky problem will soon bring results. Partnering with other wastewater professionals, the NYSDEC, and hopefully, HP Hood management will be key. The principles involved will be meeting early next month to find a solution to ending this smelly situation. Buckley and Hornellsville Town Supervisor Dan Broughton have been laying the groundwork for the upcoming meeting and had this to say:
Statement from Mayor Buckley Regarding Sewer Odor Issues
“We have been working tirelessly to find a solution to the ongoing issue with foul sewer odors originating from the northern part of our shared sewer system, which is affecting the Town of Hornellsville, the Village of North Hornell, and the City of Hornell. These odors are negatively impacting the quality of life for our residents, and I understand the frustration and inconvenience this has caused for those living and working in our communities.
My team and I are fully committed to resolving this issue and are actively working with officials from the Town, and Village, as well as consultants from LaBella Associates, to investigate the and identify the source of the problem. We are also in close communication with the industrial users connected to the northern section of the sewer system, where the odors are originating, to identify potential solutions. We take this matter seriously and will continue to work collaboratively to find effective and lasting solutions to improve the situation for everyone affected.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work toward resolving this matter.”
Statement from Town Supervisor Dan Broughton Regarding Sewer Odor Issues
“As Town Supervisor, I share the deep concerns raised by Mayor Buckley regarding the unpleasant sewer odors emanating from the northern section of our shared sewer system.
I want to assure the community that my office, along with the Mayor and our Village of North Hornell partners, is actively working to identify the source of the odors and explore effective solutions.“
While the violations brought to HP Hood in 2025 do not include any fines, the city did issue MANY violations in 2024 for different issues that totaled $41,470 in fines.
We inquired with HP Hood about the violations and intentions moving toward solving this problem.
Company spokeswoman Lynn Bohan returned our call to acknowledge the problem is and has been on the radar. Bohan explained that HP Hood fully understands the nature of the issue at hand and intends to work toward a solution:
“HP Hood is committed to working with the City of Hornell, Town of Hornellsville, and the NYS DEC to address this concern.”
We will report on any updates provided by the city, NYS DEC, or HP Hood on this stinky situation. In the meantime, some residents will be forced to ‘hold their nose.’
Read more on the culprit behind the odor, hydrogen sulfide https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0043135423004827
