Smoke Testing Program

The City of St. Charles retained Gewalt Hamilton Associates, Inc. (GHA) to perform smoke testing investigations within the North Central and Second Place sanitary sewer basins as part of the City’s ongoing efforts to identify sources of inflow and infiltration (I/I), improve system performance, and support long-term infrastructure planning. GHA conducted systematic smoke testing operations throughout the project area to identify stormwater inflow sources, structural deficiencies, and other potential points of clear water entering the sanitary sewer system.

Field investigations included smoke testing, GPS-located observations, photo documentation, and defect tracking throughout approximately 283 sanitary structures across the two basins. GHA completed 69 smoke tests and identified 133 defects with varying levels of infiltration potential. Findings were categorized by severity to help the City prioritize high-priority inflow sources requiring immediate attention while identifying lower-priority maintenance items for future efforts.

GHA coordinated field operations basin-by-basin to maintain organized investigations and minimize disruption to residents and daily operations. Inspection results and observations were documented electronically and integrated into GIS-based deliverables that provided the City with clear, actionable information to support maintenance planning, phased rehabilitation efforts, and long-term utility system resiliency.