FOLLOWING several complaints over a “disgusting” sewage drain odour, Water Corporation has recently installed an odour control unit (OCU) near the intersection of Millhouse Road and Corona Way.

As reported in Residents’ concerns over foul smell, the smell was first reported around November last year, after upgrades were made by Water Corporation to pumping stations in the area.

The source of the smell was pinpointed to odour being periodically vented from the pump station through an overflow flap.

Swan Hills MLA Michelle Maynard has advocated for the issue to be addressed since residents first began raising concerns.

In June, Ms Maynard aired a grievance about the smell in the legislative assembly, where the Water Minister Don Punch announced that an OCU would be installed to address the issue.

“The unit is expected to significantly improve the odour issue experienced by nearby residents,” Ms Maynard said.

“It is designed to mitigate or eliminate odours without relying on chemical dosing or other temporary remedies.

“Water Corporation has advised that the installation of the OCU is intended as a long-term solution to mitigate or eliminate odours.

“The community has been very thankful for the improvement since the OCU was installed.”

Echo News visited the area after the unit was installed and did not detect any odour.

A Vines Residents and Ratepayers Association spokesperson said people in the area reported the odour was gone.

A Water Corporation spokesperson said the OCU was already benefiting the community.

“Monitoring undertaken since the unit was commissioned shows a significant reduction in odour levels, and we will continue to monitor odour levels to ensure the system is operating effectively,” the spokesperson said.

“The unit works by capturing odorous gases and passing them through specialised filters to neutralise compounds.”

Residents can report any odour concerns to the Water Corporation faults line on 13 13 75.