SANFORD, Fla. – If you’ve noticed the smell has gotten worse in Sanford once again, you’re not alone.
News 6 is learning a temporary fix at the city’s wastewater treatment plant near Lake Monroe has failed.
[VIDEO: ‘Makes you sick to the stomach:’ What’s the stink in Sanford?]
The city’s public works & utilities director said the temporary exhaust fan that was installed to alleviate the ongoing issue while they wait for a custom odor control exhaust fan to arrive, has stopped working.
At the end of October, our News 6 team got an inside look at the facility where the utilities and public works director showed us the temporary fan that’s been installed and explained that it wasn’t specifically designed for the treatment process like the permanent fan is.
[VIDEO: Could this fix eliminate Sanford’s stench? Here’s what the city is doing]
Commissioner Sheena Britton publicly shared a note from the city manager that explained the temporary fan failed because it was overused and constantly running.
“The truth is...our community has been dealing with this issue far too long,” she wrote in part.
“I have expressed my frustration repeatedly about the ongoing mismanagement, poor planning, and lack of urgency within this process,” she continued. “This isn’t the first time we’ve heard excuses, and unfortunately, it likely won’t be the last until we see real accountability and competent decision making from leadership within.”
Our News 6 team has been following the ongoing odor issue in the city since September when the mayor said there were multiple equipment failures at what’s called the North Water Reclamation Facility near Lake Monroe
The city of Sanford also shared a timeline that covers what’s been happening at the wastewater treatment facility below:
- Late August 2025: City of Sanford takes steps to address issue by requesting the purchase order for the first exhaust fan blower unit.
- Sept. 3: Purchase order issued.
- Sept. 22: The specifications are approved for the construction of the first exhaust fan blower.
- Sept. 30: The approval for construction of the second (backup/spare) exhaust fan blower unit was given.
- (Expected) Nov. 24: The exhaust fan blower unit is scheduled to be delivered the week of Nov. 24, 2025, and upon delivery it will be installed by city staff.
- (Expected) End of November: The expected impact will be almost immediate after the installation of the custom-built fan in November. The impact will be due to a combination of projects and process modifications coming to a close at the end of November.
The city also addressed questions about why a replacement was not kept on hand previously. The part is big and costly, and “normally does not fail within two to three years.”
Since Sanford wants to do its best to avoid issues in the future, they have also ordered a backup exhaust fan to keep on hand.
The city manager says the replacement fan is expected to arrive in late November, and staff anticipate it will take only a day to make the repairs once all the parts have arrived.
In addition to the spare fan they will have for the future, the city is also implementing a new maintenance schedule for the exhaust fan blower.
Staff shared on the city’s "Sanford Says" podcast in October that the equipment failed because it wasn’t maintained the way it should have been and was running more than it should have been.
The public works and utilities director told News 6 Monday they have also ordered an additional temporary fan that they hope to install soon, before the permanent replacement arrives later this month.