Foul 'sulfuric' odor worries Southwest Lakeland residents about potential toxic chemicals

LAKELAND — There's an unknown odor emanating from Southwest Lakeland, forcing residents to take shelter inside and seal their doors. But no one can find the source.

Russ Delaney, a Carillon Lakes resident, said he began smelling a sulfuric, natural gas-like odor floating through his neighborhood last last fall. Since early March, it has become stronger and more consistently wafting down his street.

"It's become so strong that when you close the door, you can smell it in your house," Delaney said. "It just seeps in."Several Carillon Lake residents have told The Ledger their first instinct was a possible natural gas leak, as the community does have households with gas line connections. Lakeland Fire Department has received 10 calls from the community in roughly the past month, reporting potential hazardous conditions.

"When it's bad, it's really, really bad," said Lisa Rudis, a Carillon Lakes homeowner. "It's almost like a natural gas odor but more chemical in nature. It's concerning when you smell it as you don't know what it is."

Rudis said she's worried about what, if any, impacts it could have on her family and young daughter.

City Manager Shawn Sherrouse sent an April 7 to city commissioners stating city staff have been investigating possible causes of the odor for several weeks, working alongside other agencies.

"We have continued to work from city staff and to work with other agencies to determine the source of where these odors may be coming from," Sherrouse told city commissioners at a recent agenda study. "None of the agencies have been able to do that just yet."

The city's wastewater division has been involved in attempting to track down potential causes of the odor, according to Sherrouse, but unsuccessfully.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is conducting an investigation into the smell, according to Sherrouse. The Ledger has reached out to the FDEP for comment on any open investigations but has not yet received any information.

Dana Letchworth said she first filed a civilian complaint on FDEP's website, and has since been tracking the odor to provide detailed information to a state investigation. Letchworth said the frequency has worsened to where it's a nearly everyday occurrence, as other residents agreed, often starting in early evening hours between 5 and 7 p.m. on weekdays and worsens into the night. The "noxious odor" is frequently strong on weekends.

"I try to come inside as soon as I smell it," she said. "Not knowing what it is, I don't want to be out there in case it affects my health."

When outside, Letchworth said she's had her eyes start watering from the harshness of the fumes, while her older mother has suffered headaches when visiting. She said she has taken to stuffing plastic tubing into even the slightest gap around doors and windows in effort to prevent the smell from seeping into her house.

Commissioner Stephanie Madden said residents have complained of feeling sick, nauseous and getting headaches from the smell. Madden said she's concerned that residents are becoming sick and whether there might be any health impacts.

Some have taken to Aqua Clean, a wastewater management service based on Whitten Road. Sherrouse said the company is monitored by the FDEP and has recently sent investigators out there, confirming it is not the source.

Rudis said she directly reached out to Aqua Clean, who immediately responded to her and other residents.

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"I don't believe it's them," Rudis said firmly.

Complicating things further, several Carillion Lakes area residents said the odor mysteriously disappeared around the kick off of Sun 'n Fun, a lack of stench for the first several days of the annual aerospace expo. It returned suddenly on April 12, and has continued to flare up in the week since.

With local and state agencies involved, many residents are unsure what to do. Rudis said she's been unable to go out into her backyard to enjoy a barbecue or spend time in the pool. Delaney said he's been unable to spend time in his lanai. Depending how the wind blows, it has impacted the community's events, from yard sales to the community pool.

"This is something we are continuing to be concerned about," Mayor Bill Mutz said.

Sara-Megan Walsh can be reached at swalsh@theledger.com or 863-802-7545. Follow on X @SaraWalshFl.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: City struggling to find source of foul odor in Southwest Lakeland