Rideau station stink due to 'stagnant' water leaking in, city says - Action News
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Ottawa

Rideau station stink due to 'stagnant' water leaking in, city says

Stagnant water infiltrating the light rail transit tunnel is the likely cause of the stench at Rideau station, according to the group that built and maintains the Confederation Line.

Consultant hired to see how to 'suppress or eliminate' offending odour at LRT stop

The city says Rideau Transit Maintenance believes the eggy smell at Rideau Station is caused by water seeping into a nearby tunnel. (Andrew Foote/CBC)

The City of Ottawa says the group maintaining OC Transpo's Confederation Line believes the rotten stench at Rideau station is caused by stagnant water seeping into theunderground tunnel.

The explanation from Rideau Transit Group (RTG) sent bythe city Wednesday comes one week after CBCNewsfirst requested an explanation as to the cause of the smell coming from the station.

CBC'srequest on Jan. 30was prompted by reports of fumes many commuters compared to the smell of rotten eggsat Rideau Station last week. Last Thursday, the smell was particularly pungent, one OC Transpo passenger noted.

Citizen transit commissioner Sarah Wright-Gilbert also noted the stomach-churning fetor.

"Gawd," she tweeted on Jan. 31. "The tunnel is super eggy smelling this aft. It has wafted into our train hardcore."

Sealing up the tunnel

According to a written statement attributed toOttawa's director of transit operations,Troy Charter,"RTG believes that the odour at Rideau Station is due to stagnant water that is infiltrating into the tunnel near Rideau Station."

"It is important to note," Charter said, "that all tunnels experience some water infiltration."

Rideau Transit Group has suggested grout could help seal the tunnel and prevent water from seeping in, Charter said in the statement.

"An environmental consulting firm is assessing the smell to determine what can be done to suppress or eliminate the odour, and air quality monitoring is being undertaken," Charter said.

More updates on thesmell at Rideau station are expected Feb. 19 when the transit commission meets.

The stench at Rideau follows complaints of a sewage-like smell at Parliament Station, which was later blamed on the puncture of a sewer pipe during construction of the Confederation Line's downtown tunnel.

laura.glowacki@cbc.ca

With files from Hillary Johnstone