Smoke Testing in Effingham Nearing End

RJN Group, Inc. will be starting Thursday, September 20, weather permitting, the second and final phase of testing sanitary sewers in the areas south of Jefferson Avenue to Fayette Avenue, and east of Willow Street to Route 40; then they will do the areas south of Wabash Avenue to Jaycee Avenue, east of Raney Street, and to the railroad tracks, plus the Effingham High school area. The purpose of the smoke testing is to locate defects in the sewer system.

The smoke is non-toxic, harmless and creates no fire hazard. It should not enter your home unless you have defective plumbing or dried up drain traps.  Drain traps should always be filled with water to prevent sewer gases or odors from entering the building. If you have seldom used drains, please pour water in the drain to fill the trap, which should prevent smoke from the testing to enter.

If smoke is found in your home or building, simply open windows and the smoke will dissipate quickly. Please also notify the onsite testing personnel or the onsite City staff. If the smoke does enter your home, the potential does exist for sewer gases to also enter your home, and you should consult your licensed plumber to fix any problems.

This will be an ongoing program and the information obtained will be used to improve the City’s sewer system in keeping with state and federal regulations.