City Utilities using smoke to find sewer leaks in southeast Fort Wayne

Fort Wayne City Utilities with the assistance of Burgess & Niple, Inc. will be “smoke testing” sewer lines in several southeast neighborhoods beginning on Monday, October 6, 2008 as part of a sewer separation project in the area. Smoke testing will be done in the area generally bounded by Petit Avenue on the north, Roosevelt Drive on the south, Anthony Boulevard on the east and Gaywood Drive on the west. Testing the entire area is expected to take about two weeks to complete.

Combined sewers in the area to be examined become overloaded when it rains indicating that rain water and ground water is entering the lines. This overloading occasionally results in an overflow of sanitary sewage to the St. Mary's River. The proposed sewer separation project will result in separating sanitary sewage from stormwater via separate sewer systems.

To find the areas that leak, workers will systematically blow smoke into manholes. The smoke will come out of the sewer system in places where the sewers may be cracked, have a bad joint, where a stormwater inlet is connected, or have some other deficiency that causes it to leak. Smoke may be seen coming out of manholes and inlets or out of the ground. The smoke being used is chemically generated but is non-toxic, non-staining, has no odor and creates no fire hazard. It will be white or gray in color.

Smoke may be seen coming from building gutters and downspouts if they are directly connected to the combined sewer. Smoke coming from plumbing vents on roofs is not unusual. The smoke should not enter any homes or businesses. Smoke coming into a building may indicate that a drain tap is dry or that there is a plumbing defect. City Utilities suggests that property owners make sure that drain traps have water in them. Seldom used floor drains are the most likely place that smoke will enter a building, so City Utilities suggests that property owners pour a gallon of water into each floor drain

If smoke does enter building, the occupants should exit the building and look for City Utilities crews who will be nearby conducting the testing. Also, if residents return home and find smoke in the building, they should call the 311 service center so that City Utilities can investigate the problem.

Prior to the testing, City Utilities will be delivering door hangers and letters to residents and businesses in the area where the testing will be done. Questions from residents should be directed to City Utilities at 427-1255 or to the 311 service center.