What's that smell in Monessen? Sewer pipe work causes an odor to seep into homes, mayor says.

Monessen's fire department says some people there have smelled chemical or plastic-type odors inside homes. While the mayor says there haven't been any hospitalizations, it has prompted multiple calls.

Mayor Ron Mozer said he experienced it last week. 

"To me, I thought it was something that burned up, maybe a transformer or something like that had burned up," Mozer said. 

Monessen's volunteer fire department says the smell is linked to recent sewer pipe lining work in the area.

Mozer says these are older laid brick lines that need a lot of fixing.

"They coat the pipe internally and they cure this polymer with a steam," he said. 

"It's the steam that tends to proliferate through the laterals into people's homes that causes the odor," he added. 

The VFD says the odors can cause headaches, dizziness or nausea. They can also cause throat irritation or eye irritation.

"It's not something that should be taken lightly," said Mozer said. 

So what should you do?

The fire department says to run water tubs, sinks and floor drains too. Cover drains if you're not using them as well. Also, open up your windows. It'll help provide ventilation to your home.

"I put water in both of them, turned ventilation on the house, and within 15 minutes, the odor was completely gone," said Mozer. 

The mayor says the contractor doing the work will notify neighbors when they're working on their street going forward. 

"They will help them identify where the traps are in their house," he said. 

"We'll make sure that they properly have liquid in the traps to prevent odors from entering the house in the first place," he added. 

He says the project should finish in the spring but until then, "we're being very proactive on this as far as how this proceeds from this point forward." 

Monessen's volunteer fire department says if you're feeling any symptoms or the odor is overwhelming, you should not stay inside your home. They say you should call 911 immediately, including if anyone becomes sick.