By Staff
NILES – Smoke tests of the Niles sewer system are set to begin Tuesday, weather permitting.
Crews from the engineering firm of Fishbeck, Thompson, Carr and Huber (FTCH), under contract with the City of Niles, will be performing smoke testing of the sanitary sewer system in several areas of the city, tentatively scheduled to begin Tuesday. In advance of the start date, crews will be placing hangtags at properties in areas where work is to be performed, explaining the work and providing a phone number to call should there be questions or concerns.
The tests are being conducted to locate breaks and defects in the sewer system and to determine sources of storm water infiltration into the city's sanitary sewer system via roof downspouts, parking lot drains, failed sewer bulkheads, etc. Increased amounts of storm water in the sanitary system can cause sewer backups in sewer mains and basements, and can also cause sanitary overflows into the river.
The infiltration of storm water into the sanitary system also requires treatment of the storm water once it reaches the wastewater treatment plant, which drives up treatment plant operating costs.
Because it is critical that openings such as downspouts not be covered with snow during the testing, any significant snowfall amounts will delay the start date until such time that those conditions have improved and test conditions are acceptable.
Residents should contact Jeff Brown of FTCH at (517) 622-6127 if they have questions or concerns regarding the testing.