Foul odor causes homes to be cleared

MANALAPAN - The Manalapan Police Department, the Gordons Corner Fire Company and the Monmouth County hazardous materials (Hazmat) team, along with other agencies, responded to a home on Wayne Court at 6:58 p.m. July 22 for a report of an odor of gas fumes.

Other responding agencies were New Jersey Natural Gas, the Gordons Corner Water Company, the Western Monmouth Utilities Authority (WMUA) and the Monmouth County Health Department.

Other homes on Wayne Court and Ryan Road were found to have similar odors, according to a police report. Wayne Court residents were evacuated from their homes for about four hours.

Police said the odor was determined to be coming from the sewer system. The Gordons Corner Water Company and the Gordons Corner Fire Company flushed the system in an attempt to solve the problem.

Representatives of the county Hazmat team checked the residences and determined that the fume level in each home was safe for occupancy. At that point, residents were allowed to return to their homes, according to police.

Representatives of the WMUA said they would continue to investigate the cause of the fumes, according to the press release from police. Patrolman Kevin McIntosh reported that the situation lasted for about five hours.