LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — For several years, residents in Mount Dora have been complaining about a terrible odor. While many people have speculated about where the smell is emanating, the culprit is still unclear.

Tuesday, Lake County leaders made a decision to assist with the cost of an odor evaluation.

What You Need To Know

  • Lake County leaders made a decision to assist with the cost of an odor evaluation in Mount Dora

  • Residents in Mount Dora have been complaining for years about a "chemical-like" odor. However, officials have not been able to identify exactly where the odor is coming from

  • The Florida Department of Environmental Protection previously monitored one of Mount Dora's wastewater treatment plants after residents speculated the smell was hydrogen sulfide (H2S). Officials said there was not enough evidence to prove HS2 was being emitted or released at levels higher that the state regulations

The evaluation would follow a previous study by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection that debunked claims the smell might have been hydrogen sulfide after the agency monitored the James P. Snell sub regional wastewater treatment plant in 2023.

“No credible evidence that any regulated facility in the area had been emitting or releasing levels of h2s in excess of state regulatory levels,” a DEP spokesperson said in a statement.

Additional monitoring also backed that report.

So the question remains, where is the odor coming from?

County commissioners approved a plan to share the responsibility of sniffing out the stink with Mount Dora city officials by funding another evaluation of odor in the Stoneybrook and State Road 46 area, along with Sullivan Ranch where residents say they have smelt a chemical-like odor for years.

Mount Dora city officials requested the help due to residents in unincorporated Lake County also sharing complaints about the smell.

The county would share a split cost of just over $135,000.

The city released the following statement on Tuesday:

The City of Mount Dora values our partnership with Lake County in addressing the odor issue affecting our community. By combining resources, we are confident in achieving a lasting resolution for all affected residents that upholds the well-being of our region.