Sanitary And Storm Sewer Dye Flooding Testing
Starting the week of Monday, February 26, the City’s Contractor will begin dye flooding testing the City-owned sanitary and storm sewer systems.
Background
In order to reduce the risk of sanitary sewer backups and flooding, the City has been testing sewer system to look for leaks and cross connections. During smoke testing last summer, the City identified areas where stormwater is leaking into the sanitary sewers. This spring, the City's contractor RJN will be doing dye flooding testing as a continuation of that work. Dye flooding is a technique that is used to pinpoint those locations so they can be repaired.
What's Planned
The process of dye flooding involves putting large amounts of dyed water into portions of the storm sewer system and then sending a television camera through adjacent sanitary sewer pipes to see if or where the dyed water is getting from the storm to the sanitary sewer.
This testing will not affect any sewer services and shouldn’t directly impact any residents. The dyed water might show up in some of the ravines but is completely harmless and should dissipate quickly. The only equipment involved will be two vans or small trucks that will be moving around as the work progresses. Traffic will be able to go around the work trucks at all times.
Timeline
The first round of testing is planned to happen in the Central Business District in late February and early March. The second round of testing is planned to begin the week of March 25 and will occur in the area east of McKinley Road and north of College Road.
What to Expect
- Dye flooding sewers does not impact use, so there’s no disruption to service.
- The vehicles will work for a few hours per block before moving to the next location.
- Two-way traffic will generally be maintained around the work vehicles.
- Work will typically occur Monday through Friday between the hours of 7 am and 4 pm with occasional weekend work, if needed.
Questions?
Contact Engineering Superintendent Byron Kutz at (847) 810-3555 or kutzb@cityoflakeforest.com.