Smoke Testing Sewer System

The Smoke-Testing Is Part of a Larger Sewer Assessment Project Being Done by Independent Contractor Hydrostructures, which Is Costing The City About $2.3 Million

Smoke-testing is something the city has done occasionally for years, said Joey Jaco, the city's utilities and engineering director. But you can expect to see it more frequently over the next five to 10 years, he said.

A consent decree from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires the city to follow atimeline of improvementsto its sewer system that has regularly leaked wastewater into nearby waterways. The city will spend about$750 millionover the next decade to upgrade the sewer system.

The smoke-testing is part of a larger sewer assessment project being done by independent contractor Hydrostructures, which is costing the city about $2.3 million, Jaco said.

Smoke-testing works by introducing smoke to a manhole and forcing it down the sewer system. It will escape from the system at any point where there is an open break in the line, such as in some yards, stream banks, storm drains, manhole lids and roof vents. That will allow the city to pinpoint areas that need repair.

The smoke, white or gray in color, is non-toxic, non-staining, non-flammable and has a slight odor.

Homeowners and businesses in areas being smoke-tested at any given time will be notified by community meetings or fliers, Jaco said.

Areas currently undergoing sewer evaluation include Olympia, the Lyon Street Community, Waverly, Lower Waverly, the MLK neighborhood, Melrose Heights, Hollywood-Rose Hill, Wales Garden, University Hill, Shandon, Old Shandon, Forest Hills and the Benedict-Allen-Palmetto Richland area. Parts of those areas - just a few streets at a time - have been and will be smoke-tested periodically over about a year's time, Jaco said.

Source: The State

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