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The City of Belmont is conducting sanitary sewer smoke testing to help identify and mitigate infiltration and inflow (I&I), which occurs when groundwater and stormwater enter our closed wastewater infrastructure, including sewer pipes.  Infiltration occurs when the groundwater table rises, allowing water to push into cracks, joints, seams, and older parts of our infrastructure.  Inflow...

No. The smoke is non-toxic and harmless. It is light in color, leaves no residue, and does not create a fire hazard. People with particular respiratory sensitivity should avoid exposure to all types of smoke.

This could mean that a drain on the property is connected to the sewer lateral or that the lateral has breaks or cracks in the pipe, causing drain runoff that contributes to sewer backups and overflow.

Yes, smoke alarms may be activated by testing. Open windows or doors for ventilation if possible.

This is a precautionary measure in case the smoke is due to a real fire rather than the sewer testing, and also because smoke from the sewer testing indicates that dangerous sewer gases are also entering the home. Although the testing smoke is not toxic, dense smoke or prolonged exposure can be irritating to the...

If all sewer connections are working properly and there are no open faults in the home, all smoke should run through the sewer lines and out of the building’s roof vents. This is normal. The unusual event of smoke entering the home means there is an open fault, where sewer gas has been entering the...

No, if your plumbing is correctly installed and functioning properly, and your “traps” are all filled with water, then no smoke should enter your home. Very few homes typically get smoke in them from sewer smoke testing.

The purpose of sewer smoke testing is to identify improper sources of water entering the public portion of the sewer system. While it is also beneficial to identify deficient plumbing connections on private property, this is not the primary intent of the testing, and it is the responsibility of the homeowner to maintain the plumbing...

No, homeowners do not need to be home during testing. However, it is not recommended to leave pets unattended in a confined space during the testing.

Before the testing date, pour ½ gallon of water in all basement floor drains or seldom-used sink/shower drains, and be sure to flush any seldom-used toilets. This ensures that drain traps are filled with water, preventing smoke from entering the house through any normal, working sewer-line connections. This “traps” water in the pipes and is called...

Smoke testing is the industry standard method of identifying sources of surface inflow to the sanitary sewer, which leads to reduced efficacy of local sewer treatment plants. A Smoke Test uses non-toxic smoke and high capacity blowers to blow smoke through the sanitary sewer lines. In the image below, a blower is placed on top...