Sewer leak check
to use nontoxic smoke
The city Environmental Services will be blowing nontoxic smoke through the sewers to check for cracks and leaks in the pipes in the Kailua Enchanted Lake area starting Tuesday through October as a part of an islandwide project.
The purpose of the test is to determine where rainwater is going into the sewer system. Too much rainwater could cause sewage to overflow, said city spokeswoman Carol Costa.
City crews will inform residents if there are any problems with their pipes. The city will fix the problems if it is a faulty city pipe. If there's a problem with a pipe that is privately owned, the city will give instructions to hire a private plumber, whose services residents will have to pay for.
Kailua residents have already been notified of the date and time of testing of their sewer lines. The city asked residents who see the smoke to not be alarmed.
During heavy storms in the past, Kailua residents have opened their sewer drains to stop the flooding in their yards, but that is damaging to the sewer system, Costa said.
City crews will pump the glycerin-based corona smoke into a manhole in the neighborhood. Cameramen will be walking around and taking pictures of where the smoke comes out from each home.
The smoke can tell officials these things:
>> If the smoke comes out of the vent on the roof of a house, it means there are no leaks in that homeowner's pipes, and that's what people want, said Lori Kahikina-Moniz, a city civil engineer.City crews tested Foster Village and Waimalu in May and June earlier this year. After Kailua, city crews intend to continue the testing islandwide, Kahikina-Moniz said.>> If smoke comes into their home, something may be wrong with the pipes inside their house, but is usually a minor problem, Kahikina-Moniz said.
>> If smoke comes out anywhere else, city crews will determine where the problem is and inform homeowners of the defects.
City & County of Honolulu
www.co.honolulu.hi.us