“Any city right in water can smell dank at times....”
Especially when they discharge their sewage into that water.
Interesting
https://bestveniceguides.it/en/2020/02/28/sewage-in-venice-how-does-it-work/
My dad was a pioneer in privatizing public wastewater and water utilities
Every municipality in the world dumps raw sewage when it rains a lot
It overloads pipeline systems and plants
Even Miami which is damn clean otherwise
Venice is hard to bring up to snuff
The historic part
They used a septic system forever called gatoli
Some places I’ve lived dump in streets
Belize city
Freetown Sierra Leone
Manaus brasil
When I lived in Manhattan some areas dumped directly to east river
I think much garbage is still barged to a canyon way offshore
I know sewage sludge is