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Smoke testing continues to find sewer infiltration
(by Sue Reid - July 09, 2012)
Smoke testing continues to find sewer infiltration
By SUE REID
Beginning next week, smoke testing of the sanitary sewer system will take place in two more residential areas of Solon in an effort to identify issues associated with inflow and infiltration.
Inflow is generally associated with improper connections, such as with downspouts, in which storm water can enter the sanitary sewers. Infiltration involves water leaking into the sanitary sewer system due to such problems as bad joints or cracked pipes.
William Drsek, sewer division manager for the city, said, based on information from CDM consultants, which has been monitoring flow throughout the city, the issues appear to be coming from residential areas. As a result, he said, smoke testing in commercial areas is unlikely to be done this year.
The next residential areas to be targeted are the Cheswick area off of Miles Road on the north end of town and along Aurora Road (Route 43), from the Heritage Building to Portz Parkway.
The testing involves forcing smoke through the sanitary sewers and finding any locations where it escapes. The testing will be done by the Solon Service Department under the direction Mr. Drsek.
He said the city is following up on issues identified from tests done last year in the area of Solon, SOM Center (Route 91) and Aurora roads. "We're still doing follow-up for anyone who had a defect from the smoke testing," he said. "We're going back and getting them to do private property dye tests."
A couple of property owners have informed the city that they will make repairs by the end of the summer, he said.
All of the issues involving the city's responsibility have been repaired, Mr. Drsek said.
"Most of the issues that we are finding lead us toward typically private-property issues," city Engineer John J. Busch said. "We have codified ordinances that we have to enforce related to the resident making any repairs that we find relative to having a cross connection between the sanitary and storm sewer."
Mr. Drsek said a single instance on private property does not make a huge impact on the city, but numerous infiltration issues combined do. "The impact is that there could be a potential for a sanitary sewer overflow," he said.
The city has been doing smoke testing for nearly eight years in residential areas to identify issues in its sanitary sewer system. It became more earnest following the rainstorm of June 2006, when nearly 1,000 homes in Solon were flooded.
Two years ago, the city began the smoke testing in commercial areas as well.
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