Smoke Testing On Neighborhood Sewers Planned In Healdsburg

HEALDSBURG, CA — Residents near Twin Oaks Way may see smoke Tuesday while crews test sewer lines for leaks and other problems.

Crews will test sewer lines around Twin Oaks Way, Spruce Way, and Oakleaf Avenue. The work will take place in short periods over several hours and affect no more than 50 homes, according to Healdsburg officials.

The testing is not citywide. Residents in the affected area have been notified, and city staff are scheduled to be available in the neighborhood.

Crews are trying to find cracks, holes, leaks, or incorrect sewer connections by sending non-toxic smoke into the sewer system through a manhole and watching its exit.

Problems can also allow sewer gas to enter a building.

Before the test, residents should run about a gallon of water into each drain and flush their toilets. This puts water in the curved section of pipe beneath a drain, known as a p-trap, which helps keep smoke and sewer gas from entering the home.

If smoke enters a home after residents take those steps, there may be a plumbing problem that needs attention.

The test smoke is non-toxic, but smoke entering a home through a plumbing leak could set off a smoke alarm. Residents should open a window to clear the smoke and make sure nothing else triggered the alarm, according to city officials.

Smoke coming from a roof vent likely means the home's plumbing is working correctly.

Residents with concerns during the test should call 707-431-3485.