Residents living near the Brooklyn Bottling Group facility in Milton say recurring odors from the company’s wastewater treatment system have disrupted daily life, prompting complaints to state environmental officials and calls for a permanent fix.

Tiffany Meyer-Bozydaj, a Milton hamlet resident for about 10 years, said the smell has grown increasingly noticeable during warmer months and has forced families to stay indoors.

“It’s gotten to the point where we have to close all our windows, shut off the air conditioner and keep our kids inside,” she said. “Even with everything closed, you could still smell it.”

Meyer-Bozydaj described the odor as stronger than a septic system being pumped, saying it lingered throughout the neighborhood and along U.S. Route 9W. She said she has contacted the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation multiple times over the past two summers without receiving a response.

She said the problem extends beyond residential areas, raising concerns about the impact on local businesses.

“It’s embarrassing,” Meyer-Bozydaj said. “You have restaurants and small businesses in town, and people come to visit or go out to eat. You get excited to have dinner out, then you drive into town and it smells that bad.”

Town of Marlborough Supervisor Scott Corcoran said the town began receiving complaints after Brooklyn Bottling recently increased production. He said the higher output sent additional wastewater — containing sugars, dyes and other beverage byproducts — to the treatment facility at a volume the plant was not immediately equipped to handle.

“When they increase their production, they have to increase the flow at their treatment plant,” Corcoran said. “That didn’t happen.”

He said the company notified him that the issue had been corrected, and that the treatment system took approximately four days to recover — consistent with what the town’s sewer plant operator had anticipated. Corcoran said he referred resident complaints to DEC enforcement officials and encouraged neighbors to continue filing reports directly with the agency.

“The more neighbors who report it, the more likely they are to investigate,” he said.

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation for Ulster County is handled by Region 3, and can be reached at 845-256-3000 for its Administrative office

Corcoran noted that the town has limited authority over privately operated wastewater treatment systems.

Brooklyn Bottling Chief Legal Officer Alanna Miller said the odor resulted from a seasonal adjustment at the treatment facility, not a system failure. She explained that the company operates two equalization tanks to manage odors during wastewater treatment. During cooler months, only one tank is typically needed; as summer production ramps up, a second tank is brought online.

“The second tank was brought online later than intended, allowing residue to develop and causing the temporary odor,” Miller said. “Once we became aware of the complaints, we addressed it very quickly.”

Miller said the company works with a third-party wastewater contractor that services the facility five days a week and maintains additional odor-control measures during periods of extreme heat.

“We want to be a good neighbor and part of the community,” she said. “Hopefully, there won’t be any more complaints the rest of the summer.”

As of this week, the odor had subsided. Town officials and residents say they will continue monitoring the situation through the summer production season.

“I just want my kids outside,” Meyer-Bozydaj said. “I love gardening, and I want them playing outside instead of having to stay indoors because of the smell.”

Brooklyn Bottling Group, founded in 1936 and headquartered in Milton, manufactures more than 50 brands of soft drinks, fruit juices, food and household products. The company distributes to 23 states, primarily along the East Coast.