The city of Sanibel reported that beginning on Feb. 23, inspection crews from the Public Works Utility Division and its contractor will conduct sanitary sewer cleaning and CCTV inspections along Periwinkle Way, west of Causeway Boulevard.
The work will be completed between 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. and is expected to take two nights to complete. A vacuum truck will be used for cleaning, and one lane of Periwinkle Way will be closed during operations.
“Smoke testing” of sewer lines to locate breaks and defects in the sewer system will follow throughout the island and is anticipated to begin on Feb. 25 and conclude at the end of May. During the tests, you may see smoke coming from vent stacks on buildings or from holes in the ground. Do not be alarmed. The smoke is non-toxic, harmless, has no odor and creates no fire hazard, and it will dissipate in a few minutes.
The smoke should not enter your building unless the plumbing is defective or the drain traps are dried out. It is recommended that you pour water into seldom used sinks and floor drains any time before the smoke testing begins. Some sewer lines and manholes are located on private property. If these lines require investigation, members of the inspection crews will need access to the facilities. The workmen do not need to enter your building.
Potable (drinking) water services or sanitary sewer services will not be interrupted due to the testing.
The routine preventative maintenance test is designed to identify sources of inflow and infiltration (I&I) within the sanitary sewer system. Both inflow and infiltration contribute to excess water in the system, which can lead to sewer backups, overflows and increased operational costs.
For more information, contact the Public Works Utilities Division at 239-472-6397.