IMPERIAL BEACH (KGTV) — Lilia Carnahan was excited to plug in her new air purifier.
"As soon as we got home I put it together," Carnahan said.
She hoped this little machine would solve a big problem: the constant smell of sewage in her Imperial Beach home. But after running it non-stop for two days, Carnahan says nothing has changed.
"At night, the smell started again. We closed all the doors, all the windows, everything so. Expecting anything to happen is not realistic."
In June, the Board of Supervisors agreed to spend $100,000 on more than 400 air purifiers for families affected by the sewage smell in the South Bay. They did a random lottery selection to determine who received one. Carnahan was one of those lucky winners, but says she doesn't smell luck in the air.
"In all reality, it doesn't take the smell away."
I emailed the county to ask how long people should wait before they expect the situation to improve. A representative responded "These units are designed to reduce odor. Effectiveness can be impacted by several factors." He later recommended that people close their windows. But Carnahan says that's hard to do in the summer heat. She - like many South Bay residents - doesn't have air conditioning.
"There are thousands of people impacted by this. I think what would be fair is to actually find a solution."
I also asked why the county chose this specific purifier called the Blue Air Blue Pure 311i Max 100. The representative told me it's certified by the California Air Resources Board to filter out bad smells. The county also consulted with the Air Pollution Control District, which distributed similar purifiers to families living near the port of San Diego in 2022. They claim the purifiers improved indoor air quality in those neighborhoods.
"How long do you think you'll wait before you unplug it?"
"I'll probably wait a couple months.
Carnahan says both of her daughters have breathing problems. She's holding out hope that if she uses this purifier for a little longer, her family will be able to breathe easy.
