Sewer odors not new, according to longtime residents

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The odor emitting from Hollister’s domestic wastewater treatment plant since January has resulted in complaints filed with multiple state and regional regulatory agencies and subsequent notices of potential fines to the city. 

But residents who have over 20 years living in the community and near the plant, known as the Domestic Water Reclamation Facility, say it’s not a new nuisance, though the severity of the odor depends on weather conditions.

Jose Flores, 79, lives on Buena Vista Road and tends his goats at a ranch located on San Juan Hollister Road, about 1,300 feet south from the ponds at the plant, every morning and evening.

He said in his 24 years living in the community, wastewater-like odors have always been an issue and that the level of odor depends on winds.

“Siempre ha habido olor,” he said as he was getting ready to leave the San Juan Hollister Road ranch. “Pega más acá si no hay viento.” (There’s always been an odor. It’s more noticeable here if there isn’t any wind.)

The residents that spoke with BenitoLink said they didn’t have concerns about their health but Flores said “Uno nunca sabe.” (You never know)

About 1,000 feet east of the ponds are six housing units concealed between the plant on one side and commercial businesses on the other. A resident who declined to provide his name said he has lived there eight years and echoed Flores’ statements that the odor appears to be seasonal and that it doesn’t bother him too much.

About a mile east of the plant near Aguirre Memorial Park lives 73-year-old Enrique Benavides who said the odor was an extreme nuisance and that has been going on since he moved into the neighborhood 25 years ago. 

“Cerramos las ventanas y todas las puertas y tratamos de no andar afuera porque el olor es bastante molesto,” he said. (We close the windows and doors and avoid going outside because the odor is very bothersome.)

He said the city should stop building so many houses, which he believes is the root cause of the odor. As an example, he said the city is allowing the San Juan Oaks subdivision to use the city’s plant.

The project, which consists of 1,017 housing units planned to be built over the next 10 years, got approval from the city in 2015 for sewer services. The agreement was ratified in 2023.

64-year old Luis Altamirano was taking an afternoon stroll on Brigantino Park said he lived about a mile from the plant for about 20 years and that he hoped the city could do something about the odor.

In a response to the odor complaints, on Jan. 30 the City told the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board that it was implementing immediate and long-term actions to reduce the odors including temporary equipment installation, improved screening and solids handling and installing three aerators to improve oxygen levels in the treatment ponds which lessen the odor.

Public Works Director Javier Hernandez told the Hollister City Council on Feb. 2 that the plant was designed with eight aerators but was down to three.

In addition to the odors, the city is facing potential fines of up to $5,000 for each day per violation dating back to 2024 from the water board. The violations allege the city failed to maintain its wastewater treatment plant and allow overflow from the basins. 

The city contracts with Veolia Water West Operating Services to operate the plant since 2010. With the contract set to expire in February 2026 after several extensions, the council in March 2025 opted to continue with the original contract for the remainder of the original six-year term which ends in June 2030.

At that meeting, the city council also discussed the process of having other vendors propose their services to the city.

More recently, the council directed staff to have a specialist analyze any potential health hazards to the community.

While the city is dealing with odors from the treatment plant, during the summers it also tries to minimize odors from its industrial treatment ponds, which are located near Summer Drive and used by San Benito Foods, a cannery in downtown Hollister. 

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