Smoke Testing Resuming in November 2024

This is where Council’s contractor pumps a vapour-like simulated smoke into local sewer pipes as a way of discovering sewerage system faults and non-compliant household stormwater connections. These can lead to sewer spills, public health risks and serious environmental impacts.

This is where household stormwater plumbing is found to be connected to a Council-owned sewer instead of a stormwater drain. This is a breach of Clause 638 of the Local Government Act.

Council will send a notification providing details of what the property owner needs to do next.

The smoke is non-toxic, non-staining and odorless, akin to the smoke used in concerts and other live events. However, it is recommended that people with respiratory problems avoid direct exposure to the smoke. To minimise the risk of smoke entering your home, please ensure showers, toilets, sinks and floor drainage have been recently used.

Some amount of smoke may enter your residence through any connections to the sewer, such as the toilet, sinks & showers. Should this occur, please open your windows to ventilate the affected rooms, then flush toilets and run sinks and showers to suppress the smoke.

If any assistance in this process is required, please contact Interflows Project Manager. (Elliot Christie, on 0467 066 285)

If smoke does enter a home from the inside, it is advisable to contact a licensed plumber to find out if there is a sewer connection problem. Sewer connection problems may expose the resident to potentially harmful sewer emissions.

In addition, it is advisable – while smoke testing is being performed and at the ‘to be tested’ streets – to leave your toilet lids down with a small, approx. 2kg, object placed on the lid, to ensure that accidental toilet spurts are avoided. Toilet Spurts may occur when there are issues with the properties Air Vent or Overflow Relief Gulley.