What Is Smoke Testing? Learn How The City Of Superior Tests Its Sewer Lines

If you've ever seen smoke rising from the manhole covers in Superior - you may have been taken off-guard;  You probably would be left to wonder if there was something wrong.

More than likely - if you're witnessing the smoke rising from a city-owned manhole cover it's for a purpose.

The City of Superior uses smoke-testing to test portions of the sewer system.  The process isn't new but is very efficient.  During the process, large volumes of smoke are blown through the sewer lines to help identify sources of inflow via drains, abandoned sewers, perforated covers, leaky seals, illegal connections, and storm-drain cross-connections.  The tests also detect sources of infiltration from leaking joints, and faulty building sewers that need repairs.

Smoke-testing the cities sewer lines is an important tool in reducing excess water that can cause unnecessary loads on the Wastewater Treatment Plant.

The city usually notifies neighboring residents when they plan to smoke-test a particular area of the sewer.  Signs are usually posted and door hanger informational fliers are distributed throughout the surrounding area - containing pertinent dates and times that the tests are scheduled.