Sheldon, Iowa — The City of Sheldon is going to be doing some smoke testing of city sewer lines next week.
Sheldon Public Works Director Todd Uhl tells us about it.
Uhl tells us that the smoke is put into the sanitary sewer, which should be airtight — and therefore also impervious to smoke. If they do see some smoke, they know there is a problem with a sewer line somewhere. But Uhl says they want everyone in the smoke testing area (see map below) to run some water into all their drains before the smoke testing — especially drains that are seldom used like floor drains. If you don’t, and the water has dried up in the drain’s trap, you will get smoke coming up the drain, which, Uhl says has been the reason for some false fire calls when they’ve done it in the past.
The I & I that Uhl is talking about is inflow and infiltration, which is when stormwater and/or groundwater enter the sanitary sewer system, which could cause overflow problems at the wastewater treatment plant. The City of Sheldon does remind you that sump pumps should never be connected to the sewer, for the same reason. In other words if your sump pump water goes the same place as your toilets, sinks, and washing machine, it’s in violation.
Like all smoke, the smoke used during the testing may irritate breathing passages when inhaled without the use of respiratory protection. If you have any questions, you can contact the Sheldon City Offices at 712-324-4651 or email tuhl@cityofsheldon.com.
