Sanitary sewer smoke testing to start Monday in Woodland Heights

(From the City of Springfield)

The City of Springfield’s Clean Water Services division will perform sanitary sewer smoke testing in the Woodland Heights neighborhood beginning Monday, Feb. 12.

The boundaries of the testing area are roughly between Talmage St. (north) and Chase St. (south) and between Grant Ave. (east) and Elizabeth Ave. (west). Testing will take place for approximately two weeks, weather permitting.

Following testing in Woodland Heights, crews will move east and conduct testing in an area along Division St. near the Glenstone Ave. intersection. Testing here will take approximately 2 days.

Smoke testing is conducted to locate leaks in the sanitary sewer system. Harmless, odorless smoke is blown into sewer manholes in the street, goes through the pipes and comes out where there are broken pipes and where roof downspouts, outside area drains, or foundation drains are connected to the sanitary sewers. The smoke testing program is part of the City’s $200 million overflow control plan to reduce sanitary sewer overflows in Springfield’s aging sewer system over the next 10 years.