Hauraki District Council occasionally tests the district’s wastewater network using smoke. This is a process called 'Smoke Testing'. Smoke testing involves pumping smoke into the wastewater network through selected manhole covers and keeping track of where it emerges.
This testing is a method used to find breaks, defects and clean stormwater/surface water entering the network, which can potentially overload the system. Smoke testing is a common practice to help find faults and keep stormwater out of the wastewater network – which in turn makes treating the wastewater more efficient and cost effective.