Florence, South Carolina – Beginning February 24, 2025, the City of Florence Utilities Department will start a week-long smoke testing project across a few chosen areas of the city to assess and enhance the sanitary sewage system’s performance. This required maintenance seeks to identify areas where undesired water finds its way into the system, therefore potentially resulting in overflows and increased treatment costs.
The tests will include several blocks in the Woodmont and Wilson Heights communities, including areas around Lewis Lane, Newman Avenue, and others as well as the 900 and 1000 blocks of Royal Street and the 1300 block of Malloy Street. The activity could last until the first week of March depending on the temperature.
Yellow door hangers will be used to inform local residents about the forthcoming operations. Through several flaws such cross-connections, cracks, or holes in the sewage system, the smoke testing is meant to find the origins of superfluous water intake into the sewer lines.
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A smoke blower gadget will push replicated smoke via the sewer systems throughout the operation. From any troublesome spot, this benign smoke—which resembles that employed in stage productions—which is neither poisonous nor flammable—will show visually the areas that require attention. Usually, the smoke will leave by the sewage vent stacks on rooftops; if domestic plumbing is properly sealed, it should not penetrate inside areas.
The testing schedule is provided to public safety authorities so as to guarantee coordination and response preparation. Every city block’s testing is supposed to take about half an hour. Residents could find smoke rising from manhole covers, storm drains, even roof vents. The city guarantees that the smoke is safe and will dissipate fast, but it also recommends against extended exposure to avoid skin irritation.
In the rare instance that smoke does enter a home, it typically indicates a need to check the home’s plumbing connections. To stop smoke entrance, the city advises residents to make sure all P-traps—under sinks, toilets, showers, and floor drains—are full of water. Pouring a gallon of water into each can tightly seal the traps for routinely used drains.
Florence municipal authorities advise citizens who notice smoke in their houses to open the area and call a certified plumber to look at any sewage connection problems. Direct contact with the Florence Utilities Department at (843) 665-3236 will help with questions and more assistance on the smoke testing.
This preventive action by the city is a part of an ongoing effort to preserve and enhance the infrastructure to ensure a dependable and effective sewage system for every citizen.
