We treat smoke testing not as a quirky afterthought—but as a powerful, trenchless inspection method that sniff-checks your entire sewer system for leakage, defects, and unwanted water intrusion. If you’re fighting rising treatment costs, basement backups, or I/I headaches, this is where common sense meets science.
What Is Smoke Testing—and Why It Works
Smoke testing is simple: we force non-toxic, theatrical-grade smoke (think concert fog, not chimney puff) into your sewer mains from manholes. The smoke travels the pipes and escapes wherever there’s a breach—whether that’s cracks, illegal downspouts, or busted laterals. Wherever the smoke escapes, that’s where groundwater or stormwater is sneaking in. It’s fast, cheap, and freakishly accurate at pointing out weak points before they become disasters.
Why You Should Care
- Spot leaks before they cost you: Smoke testing pinpoints infiltration and inflow—two invisible threats that can quietly dial up treatment loads and tank your budgets.
- Find offender connections: It reveals illicit or misdirected connections—downspouts, sump pumps, storm drains—that might be bleeding clean water into your system by design or accident.
- Efficient and non-invasive: You’re not tearing up streets or shutting down traffic. One manhole per zone and a few minutes of pressure-driven smoke do the trick.
- Safe for people and property: The smoke isn’t smoke—it’s a harmless mist that leaves no odor, stain, or damage behind. Even pets and plants won’t bat an eye.
- Build actionable I/I intelligence: Flow data tells you where to fix—but smoke testing shows you what needs to be fixed. Together, they make for smarter rehab.
GCU’s Smart Smoke Testing Process
- Strategic prep and notification
We plan the zones, notify residents ahead of time (door hangers, signs, local hotlines—whatever works), and coordinate with emergency services to ensure no glitches. - Smoke the network
Crews position a blower over a manhole, introduce the fog, and let it flow. Wherever the system’s weak, smoke will show up—often in yards, vents, cracked pavement, or manhole rims. - Document the defects
Smoke plumes are observed and recorded—flags, photos, and notes tie each breach to a location. - Analysis meets action
Our report pinpoints hotspots for later rehab—be it grouting, lining, structural repair, or camera inspection. - Resident peace-of-mind
Smoke may drift into rare dry-trap homes—but it’s harmless, clears quickly, and we brief residents on how to ventilate and follow up.
GCU Is Doing Smoke Testing Differently
- Real-world results, fast: You get a clear view of leaks in under a day, without digging or disruption.
- Tailored insights: We don’t just display smoke—we translate it into rehab plans that fit your system needs and budget.
- Zero-cost cleanup: Smoke evaporates. No stains. No lingering odor. No site prep afterward.
- Safer tech-forward field teams: Residents don’t need to open doors. We work efficiently from the street, communicating clearly if smoke enters a home.