When: Monday, July 7 to Friday, July 11
Where: Colwood Corners neighbourhood and surrounding neighbourhoods
What: Sewer Smoke Testing – Wilfert Sanitary Catchment
The City of Colwood is preparing to undergo Smoke Testing in the Colwood Corners and surrounding neighbourhoods between July 7 and 11. Sewer smoke testing is important to ensure the safety and functionality of our sanitary system, while maximizing the useful life of our infrastructure.
What is Smoke Testing?
Smoke Testing is a method of identifying unwanted sources of Stormwater entering the Sanitary System, which can lead to a reduction in system capacity, and increases in unnecessary treatment costs.
Smoke testing involves using non-toxic, artificially created smoke to identify defects and unauthorized connections which can lead to stormwater inflow.
The smoke is non-toxic, non staining, and dissipates quickly. It is safe for humans, pets, and the environment.
How to Prepare for Smoke Testing
To prepare for smoke testing, fill seldom used drains (such as floor drains, garage sinks, etc.) with water. Simply run the faucet for 30-60 seconds or pour about four (4) litres of water down the drain. This will ensure that p-traps are full of water and functioning as designed.
If you miss a drain and smoke starts entering your home, simply pour 4 litres of water down that drain to seal it and then open a window to vent the room. If smoke does enter your home and it’s not due to a dry p-trap, you should consult a licensed plumber. If smoke from the smoke testing can enter through faulty plumbing, so too can sewer gases also enter your home.
For more information, please see Smoke Testing FAQs. [PDF/1.4MB]
Map of Smoke Testing Area
Contact for Works
Tanner Northrup
Manager of Roads & Utilities
City of Colwood
tnorthrup@colwood.ca
250-478-5053 ext .214