The City of Springfield’s Department of Environmental Services is utilizing a surprising tool to help improve the community’s sanitary sewer system – smoke.

Smoke testing is one technique used to help locate leaks in the sewer system which allow water that doesn’t belong to seep in.

The City manages a separate sewer system, one system for wastewater and one for stormwater. Springfield’s sanitary sewer system is designed to carry wastewater from homes and businesses to one of the City’s two wastewater treatment plants. But excess stormwater, entering the system through broken pipes, leaky manholes and improperly connected downspouts, can overwhelm the sanitary sewer during heavy rains, causing untreated sewage to overflow into neighborhoods, businesses and homes.

In an effort to protect our neighborhoods and the environment from overflows, the City agreed to a $200 million Overflow Control Plan to reduce sanitary sewer overflows in Springfield’s aging system over a period of 10 years. As a part of this plan, the City began the Private Sewer Repair program in 2012.

The Private Sewer Repair Program offers property owners the opportunity to have improperly connected sump pumps, drains and downspouts to the sewer repaired at no charge.

“So far, the program has been successful at reducing the amount of rainwater and groundwater entering the sewer,” reports Drew Gateley, sewer operations coordinator. “About 8,500 properties have been evaluated since the beginning of the program, with defects being found and repaired at 2,384 locations.”

Smoke testing is one of the first steps in locating and identifying defects and leaks.

How does it work?

Colorless, odorless chemical smoke is blown into sewer manholes in the street, travels through the pipes and comes out where there are leaks in the system. Crews walking along each property watch for smoke coming out of yards or gutters and collect data of any location where a potential defect is detected. The smoke is non-toxic and does not create a fire hazard.

Residents and property owners can expect to be notified by mail two weeks before smoke testing will occur in their area. Days before, doorhangers are left on front doors, reminding residents of the upcoming test and providing a contact number to the field technician conducting the test.  Flashing message signs are often posted along major roadways to notify motorists that a smoke test is in progress.

“We also communicate our testing days and locations to 911 dispatchers, the Police Department and the Fire Department so they know what’s going on in case they receive calls,” Gateley explains.

After conducting smoke testing, an informational open house is held in the neighborhood. This is an opportunity to educate residents on the Private Sewer Repair Program and schedule plumbing evaluations to fix potential defects on private property at no cost to the property owner.

What neighborhood is next?

Since April, testing and plumbing evaluations have been completed in portions of the Woodland Heights, Weller and Robberson neighborhoods. Later this fall, the program will make its way to the Doling Park area, with an open house to be scheduled in November.

Additional info about smoke testing:

• You do not need to be home when the smoke testing is performed. Field inspectors will be noticeably documenting and taking photos during the smoke test, so the defects detected may be found and repaired at a later date.
• All smoke testing crew members are uniformed and carry identification badges. They will travel in clearly marked vehicles.
• Sometimes smoke may enter your home or business through infrequently used floor, shower and sink drains. Pour 24 ounces of water into all drains a few days prior to the test. If smoke does enter, residents should contact the smoke testing crew working in the area.
• If you notice smoke coming out of your property, contact the smoke testing crew. This could mean that you have improper connections or broken pipes on your property.