2 Works For You has received numerous emails from residents in the Broken Arrow neighborhood of Renaissance Park.
Each one of the emails was a complaint about the smell of human waste getting worse and worse over the last several months. The messages state the smell is coming from Green Country Sewer, which for some of the residents is less than a block away.
On Friday, the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality confirmed it cited the plant for a violation.
A spokeswoman with Oklahoma DEQ Friday reported they received the latest complain on the sewer plant on Thursday. An investigator visited Green Country Sewer on Friday and identified a violation.
It is unclear at this time if the violation is related to the smell, but the owner has been cited and DEQ reports he has two weeks to fix the issue. More details on the violation could be released as early as Monday.
Michelle Forbes can see the treatment center when she walks outside.
"Yup, it is right there," she said as she pointed at the plant from her front yard.
She said it is impossible when standing in her front yard to not smell an odor from Green Country Sewer. She also said it is embarrassing to even have guests come visit her house.
"It smells like poop," she said. "You hate to say that, but it is exactly what it is."
2 Works For You tried calling the owner of Green Country Sewer several times, looking for answers about the issue and to see if anything can be done to limit the smell. Messages left for the owner weren't returned as of Friday.
Terry Askins lives a couple blocks from the treatment center and said she feels trapped.
"I don't have the money to move, so to be quite honest I'm stuck," she said. "I'm hoping we can get something done.
Askins and her neighbors have talked with workers at the plant several times she said. They get the same frustrating answer every time.
"They say they're within code. I don't care about their code, it smells," Askins said. "Come out here and live. Taste it when you come out your door. It is so thick."
Forbes decided to take her complaints to the state and filed a complaint with Oklahoma DEQ in December. She said she knows other neighbors who have filed the same complaint.
According to Forbes after she complained, DEQ sent an environmental specialist from its Tulsa office to visit Green Country Sewer.
Unlike Friday's announcement, the response Forbes received in December didn't include any violations at the plant. The letter Forbes received read:
"This letter will provide you with the final results on your complaint. I investigated your complaint concerning a strong odor emanating from Green Country Sewer Plant. During my initial inspection of the facility, I did not find any violations that would cause an unusual odor. The facility has also added an odor suppression device at the head works. This complaint is now closed. Please contact this office if we can be of further assistance."
When she followed up with a worker from the plant, Forbes claims she received a similar response.
"Supposedly they put an air freshener on the head, which it would start smelling like cherry pie is what he said," Forbes recalled. "I have not smelled cherry pie, unless it is cherry pie with poop."
People living in the Renaissance Park neighborhood also said Friday the problem continues to get worse. Since mid-fall of 2015, many of them claim the odor is getting stronger and is noticeable more often.
Askins said she has noticed a steady increase in the strength of the smell ever since she moved in almost nine years ago.
"When I first moved in, it was just once and a while. Now it has gotten to where it is almost everyday," Askins said.
2 Works For You also placed call to the City of Broken Arrow. A spokeswoman with Broken Arrow said Green Country Sewer is operated by a private business owner, so city officials don't control the plant or the odor in the neighborhood. The spokeswoman said the plant owner and DEQ would be responsible for addressing the smell in the neighborhood.
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
Download our free app for Apple and Android and Kindle devices.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Severe Weather, School Closings, Daily Headlines and Daily Forecasts.
