The sewer system at Terminal 2 of Mexico City’s Benito Juárez International Airport has been called a sanitary disaster, as employees and passengers must put up with a foul stench in hallways, gates, parking lots and outside areas near the terminal.

Leaking sewage containing fecal matter tends to accumulate near Gate 4, on one side of the terminal.

The putrid odor may be attributed to a faulty sewer system with leaky pipes, the terminal’s proximity to a garbage dump, and various construction projects taking place inside the building. 

Employees report that the smell is more noticeable in the afternoons, and after it rains.

“The wind and heat bring that foul odor. There are days when it is very strong and affects sales,” said Sandra, who runs a sandwich shop.

“It rains, there are a lot of leaks, travelers get upset, and then they tell you to clean and clean, but the water rises up out of the drain. The pipes break and all the stink comes out,” said Monica, a cleaning lady at the facility.

Airport officials had put out a call for bids on fixing the problem.

“The leaks increase in the rainy season, so when they accumulate and stagnate they give off bad smells in a large part of the terminal, affecting users and causing a bad image,” the rules for the bidding process explained. 

Properly repairing the faulty system at Terminal 2 would take about sixmonths, airport officials estimate, and would involve installing six submersible pumps and removing 1,593 cubic meters of earth, among other projects.

However, authorities were forced to close down the bidding process on June 22 after only two companies submitted proposals that were called inadequate, offering to fix the sewage leaks for around 11 million pesos, or US $492,000.

Source: Reforma (sp)