UPDATE: Tillsonburg - Odour from wastewater treatment plant

Oxford County is aware of recent odours from the Tillsonburg wastewater treatment plant. 

The County regularly monitors its treatment plants for odour issues and is taking immediate steps to address the situation. In the meantime, Tillsonburg residents can be assured there are no safety or performance issues at the wastewater treatment plant, and that it is operating reliably and meeting all requirements set by the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks. 

The County has been working through improvements to the plant since 2021, including major upgrades at the end of 2024 and early  2025 to help prepare for future growth. The odours experienced in recent weeks are being released through exhaust from the new rooftop HVAC system when wastewater is being run through screens as a first step in the treatment process. Odour created during this process has also been affected by higher temperatures.

We are responding to this situation by:

• refreshing the biofilter to ensure it is operating optimally; 
• reviewing our treatment processes to see where we can make adjustments to reduce odours; and,
• seeking funding approval from Oxford County Council to add new odour abatement equipment to eliminate odours from this source.

Thank you for your feedback and patience. We are working to improve this situation as quickly as we can.