Mysterious low-frequency hum rattles US city as fuming residents launch petition to find cause following years of persistent pain

At a packed city council meeting this week, frustrated residents described sleepless nights, mounting stress, and deteriorating mental health.

"It's definitely impacted our mental health," said Kimberly Nunes, who launched a petition demanding action. "I have been put on medication for sleeping because it's very hard to sleep with the sound."

The petition, which garnered over 140 signatures, warns of "increased levels of stress, anxiety and physical discomfort" caused by the incessant noise.

The city council has now approved a £16,000 budget to bring in the experts.

Acoustic Technology LLC has been commissioned to conduct a multi-position sound test across the affected areas.

The firm will set up 10 microphones at different locations throughout West Haven, continuously monitoring for the elusive hum over the course of a week.

Officials suspect a local industrial plant may be responsible, though they've been unable to confirm the source despite months of investigation.

"We suspect where it is coming from, but without that confirmation, it's difficult for us to address it legally," Mayor Dorinda Borer explained.

Once testing begins, residents will need to wait around 30 days for results.

Weather conditions are crucial for accurate readings, with officials requiring winds below 10 mph and dry skies before proceeding.

John Carrano, the city's human resources commissioner who lives in one of the worst-affected areas, says his own children cannot hear the noise at all.

"People feel the hum differently," he explained. "Some don't even hear it. Others hear it, and they're not bothered by it. Then there's another group that finds it very disturbing when they hear it."

Resident Rosemary Brooks told a recent council meeting she initially thought she was losing her mind.

"I've been hearing this noise for over four years or whatever, and I thought it was just me going a little cuckoo," she said. "But it's gotten to the point where it just gets in your chest."

Ms Nunes added that even her pets have been affected: "I've noticed that my pets tend to pace and stare."

Tracking down low-frequency sounds presents unique challenges for investigators.

"Lower frequencies are much harder to block than the higher frequency of sound," explained Bennett Brooks, president of Brooks Acoustics Corporation. "It can be very annoying. It's as if it shakes the dishes and windows in your kitchen."

Connecticut has numerous noise ordinances, but few regulations specifically address low-frequency noise.

Industrial zones are permitted up to 70 decibels under state law, dropping to 51 decibels when noise reaches residential areas in the evening.

Mr Carrano's hundreds of readings showed the hum never exceeded legal limits, but professional analysis is needed to determine if it qualifies as a "prominent and discrete tone."

But West Haven isn't alone in this struggle. Similar mysterious hums have plagued communities worldwide, including Taos, New Mexico, Auckland, New Zealand, and Windsor, Ontario.

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