Goulburn Valley Water has been conducting smoke testing and manhole inspections under several streets at Rushworth, located near Shepparton in Victoria, to identify connections and damaged pipes allowing stormwater or groundwater to enter the sewer system.
Goulburn Valley Water District Manager Neville Whittaker said that Rushworth’s sewer system has a history of stormwater entering the system during heavy rainfall. Approximately four kilometres of sewer mains have been tested throughout August and September.
“Stormwater entering the sewer system has a major impact on our operations. We require more energy to pump the stormwater through our system and in extreme cases can lead to overflows from sewer manholes.
“The defects are easily seen when smoke rises above the ground or from the guttering of a house or gully trap. We are also on the lookout for damaged manhole seals,” Mr Whittaker said.
Smoke testing of sewers involves the injection of a substance mostly consisting of water vapour through the reticulation sewer system to detect incorrectly installed connections.
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