A foul smell is in the air around Te Maunga sewage treatment plant following a fault in a flow meter.

Tauranga City Council says the fault has been fixed but it will take some time for the smell to dissipate.

A fault has caused a bad smell in Te Maunga this week. Photo: Bruce Barnard.

'The flow meter fault caused waste-treating bacteria to get out of balance, hence the odour,” says group communications advisor Emma Cottin.

'The fault has now been fixed, but it does take some time for the bacteria to return to normal levels.”

The odours are expected to subside within the next 24 to 48 hours.

'We apologise for the bad odour and any inconvenience this may cause. Should you have any concerns about odours from the plant or have any further questions please contact council.”