My neighborhood stinks! No one seems to care about the sewage smell in the West End
Editors note: If you experience sewer odors, call 502.540.6000 or fill out this form to report it. MSD clAIRity Program is also holding a public meeting on April 23, 2024 from 6:00-7:00 p.m. MSD Central Maintenance Facility, 3050 Commerce Center Place, Louisville, KY 40211.
I worked hard to purchase my home in 2008, and I am proud of this accomplishment. Sixteen years ago, when I built my home, I dreamed about having cookouts in the backyard with family and friends, sitting on my front porch drinking iced tea, and socializing with my neighbors.
This dream has been short-lived.
The first few years in the Park DuValle Neighborhood in the West End were great. Now, there is no way I can do any activity outside for a long time without becoming ill. I can barely breathe. I become nauseous and my head hurts. When I invite people over for gatherings and the stink level is high, I am so embarrassed when I watch them cover their noses and cough uncontrollably.
I toured two neighborhoods in Louisville The differences were heartbreaking.
When I first bought my home, I traveled for work and was home only every other weekend. But when my mother became ill in 2014, I was reassigned to stay in Louisville to be close to her.
That's when I really began to to notice the smell.
I thought it was coming solely from the nearby factories until I realized it was creeping into my home through the toilets and sinks. At times, it has been so bad that it woke me from my sleep, and the only way to get rid of it was to flush the toilets and run the faucet. When the stench was confined to the outside, I could at least run inside to avoid it.
But where do I run if it is also in my home?
It is hard to take pride in the area where you live when you do not see the city officials trying to resolve the problems we face. I am a responsible homeowner. I pay my mortgage, maintain the upkeep, and pay property taxes. I regret my decision to build in the West End and it is not because of its location, but because no one seems to care about the conditions here that prevent us from enjoying our property.
It is like owning a car that does not drive, and you still make the car payments. Where is the enjoyment in that? Who is responsible for correcting issues like this?
Angela Alexander a Louisville native, has a daughter and son and is a grandmother of three grandsons. A former Lead union organizer with AFSCME - The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees union. Is currently a Junior at Simmons College of Kentucky, working to achieve a Bachelor’s degree in Business Entrepreneurship.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville's West End neighborhood smells like sewage. What do I do?
