Odour Monitoring System update

In our last update, the odour monitoring system was in its construction phase and I’m happy to share that the system is now fully operational. You may have seen a large seacan fenced off near the New Brighton Athletic Park where one of the odour monitoring stations is housed.

How does the Odour Monitoring System work?

The odour monitoring system consists of over 100 sampling locations set up around the Shepard area near City operations as well as the northern edge of New Brighton.  These sampling monitors are continuously pulling in air and sending it to one of the main stations, where samples are analyzed 24/7 for specific chemical compounds in the air allowing the system to detect even very low concentrations.

The sampling locations are at varying heights, from 1.5 m (5 feet) up to 30 m (100 feet) above ground level. Semi-permanent support towers were installed where needed. In other areas, existing structures such as fences and light poles were used to mount the tubing and sampling inlets. At the New Brighton station, you may have noticed tubing on the tall light poles around the athletic fields to capture the air samples from higher up.

Data analysis from the system

All of the air sample data is combined with weather data from the system’s own four weather stations. By keeping track of what wind direction causes each inlet to ‘smell’ a certain compound, the system creates a trail back to the emission source of that compound. When several of these trails converge together, an emission source is identified.

This keeps the system completely objective. The City does not choose the source locations but rather they are found by the system. This also means that the system will work to determine any emission sources that may not have been identified in the S.E. odour investigation work so far.

To date, with the small data sample size collected, no one source has risen to the top of the heap as the culprit. I know I find this surprising and will be taking great interest in the system and early results. My commitment will be to follow this over the summer and push Admin to release findings in transparent a manner as possible.

What Calgarians are smelling

The next step involves integrating 311 odour feedback from neighboring communities. This combined data will enable The City to fully analyze what Calgarians are experiencing when they are being most impacted. This analysis will identify the most significant odour sources. With specific source location and related factors like time of day and weather, The City can shift from broad odour mitigation to more targeted solutions.

Report to 311

Your 311 odour reports are more important than ever! The most relevant details needed are:

• Exact time you noticed odour (e.g. 1:14pm)
• Location (e.g. 123 52^nd Street S.E.)
• Duration of the odour (e.g. about 35 minutes)

Even if you report it after it happens, let us know the date and time you noticed the odour and we can still use the information. We know you have been reporting odours for a while now, but this odour monitoring system is a new means for The City to act on the information provided.  

You can report an odor by contacting 311 or using the online form at calgary.ca/odours.

Timeline

How long will it take the system to provide answers? Well, that depends.

The investigation work to date is pointing towards multiple odour sources contributing at different times and even during different seasons. Because of this, it is likely that the system will need to continue to collect data throughout the year and compare it to feedback from the community (which is why it’s so important you keep reporting the odours to 311).

To ensure the system is capturing all sources, the monitoring program will operate for a few years to capture seasonal variations or appearance and disappearance of potential odour sources. 

If data and 311 feedback can conclusively determine some sources earlier, we will advise on the specific odour mitigation options as soon as we can.

Last post:

Odour Update November 2024