What’s That Smell Happening In Buffalo, Amherst, And Other Areas?

For several hours in Buffalo and some of its surrounding suburbs, the residents of various neighborhoods have been lodging complaints. From Amherst to Tonawanda, Snyder to Williamsville, and Clarence to Buffalo, there has been a strong chlorine smell all over town, and it has people talking.

From all kinds of complaints on Reddit to calls to the local police departments and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, multiple people have been reporting that chlorine has been wafting in the air all over town.

According to a report from WKBW-TV on Facebook, the DEC is looking into what may be causing the smell to take over so many neighborhoods.

For many years, communities around Buffalo have had issues with their water delivery systems, sewer systems, and wastewater treatment plants in the area. One of the chemicals used to treat our drinking water and waste water goining into our sewers is chlorine. Since, according to the EPA, the chemical is a very powerful disinfectant.

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While we have only speculation at this point, some folks on  Reddit claim that the smell is coming from water treatment plants in WNY. The likely reason we're smelling so much chlorine in the air is due to all of the rain we've had, and local water intake and treatment plants having to use more chemicals to treat our drinking water.

The Clean Air Coalition of Western New York, which fights for environmental justice in the area, recommends that you report any issues or odd smells that you encounter to both the New York State Attorney General's Environmental Protection Bureau and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.