Mystery smell plagues Florida city
A strange, industrial-smelling odor has lingered for years over parts of Mount Dora, Florida, disrupting daily life and health for residents.
Now, a $270,000 joint-study between the city and Lake County aims to uncover the cause of the persistent stench and put an end to a mystery that's long frustrated the community.
Why It Matters
Local leaders say the smell is more than just a quality-of-life concern. Residents have reported symptoms ranging from sleep disruption to headaches.
Newsweek has contacted Mount Dora and Lake County officials, via email, for comment.
What To Know
Described by officials as "more industrial than sewer," the odor has been a consistent issue in neighborhoods near U.S. Highway 441 and State Road 46.
Consulting firms Halff and V&A Consulting Engineers are leading the latest evaluation, which focuses on neighborhoods such as Sullivan Ranch and Stoneybrook. Newsweek has contacted both firms, via email, for comment.
Because the affected areas span both Mount Dora and unincorporated Lake County, officials from both jurisdictions have agreed to fund the study equally, each contributing $135,000.
Despite earlier mitigation steps—including a $500,000 carbon biofilter added to the wastewater plant in 2022 and hydrogen sulfide neutralization technology deployed in 2023—the odor has persisted.
A 2024 report by consulting firm Kimley-Horn concluded that it was "highly unlikely" the smell was coming from the city's wastewater and sewer systems.
V&A Consulting Engineers will work alongside St. Croix Sensory Inc. to create an "Odor Investigation Team," which will use tools such as a "Nasal Ranger" to perform field monitoring and data collection, The Tampa Bay Times reported.
According to planning documents, one staff member may be stationed full-time in Sullivan Ranch in an RV or Airbnb for six weeks at a cost of approximately $9,000.
The Mount Dora investigation is separate from two other odor-related concerns previously reported in Florida.
In Childs Park, a neighborhood in South St. Petersburg, residents have complained for decades about a mysterious odor that comes and goes. Locals have described it as smelling like a gas leak or hot asphalt. That long-standing issue was examined in a 2022 Tampa Bay Times article.
Separately, a 2022 environmental report from Tampa Bay focused on macroalgae blooms, not air quality. Scientists tracking water pollution and algae growth noted a need for improved long-term monitoring.
Newsweek has contacted the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, via email, for comment.
What People Are Saying
Mount Dora Mayor James Homich told the Orlando Sentinel: "They're waking up with headaches, that type of thing. It's obviously something that needs to be addressed for their health and safety.
"Preliminary indications show that they're narrowing down the source and it seems to be pointing in a certain direction, but any conclusion is premature."
What Happens Next
Once the Mount Dora study concludes, Homich said he expects a "tough battle" to follow if a culprit is identified.
"Hopefully, once we have the data (for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection) they'll step in and do their job of regulating and stopping whoever is producing it," he said.
For now, Mount Dora residents continue to live with uncertainty—and the smell that refuses to go away.