Current Program Activity

Active Construction Projects

The below projects are either currently under construction or are anticipated to begin work soon:

• McLoughlin Basin Sanitary Sewer I & I Rehabilitation Project 1: Construction begins October 2025 and is expected to last through June 2026.
• Linn Basin Sanitary Sewer I & I Rehab Project 2: Construction begins in early Spring 2026 and is expected to last through October 2026. Certain erosion control measures (sediment fences, straw wattles, slope covers, etc.) are expected to remain through late 2027.
• 2026 Manhole Rehabilitation Project: Construction is expected to begin in January 2026 and last through May 2026.

Upcoming Construction Projects Map (2025 - 2028 Projects)

Looking ahead, the I & I program anticipates undertaking the following rehabilitation and improvement projects in the coming years:

• Linn Basin Sanitary Sewer I & I Rehab Project 3: Construction planned for Fall 2026 through Summer 2027.
• Linn Basin Sanitary Sewer I & I Rehab Project 4: Construction planned for Fall 2028 through Summer 2029, with erosion control remaining in place through Summer 2030.
• McLoughlin Basin Sanitary Sewer I & I Rehab Project 2: Construction planned for Fall 2027 through Summer 2028.
• Newell Basin Sanitary Sewer I & I Rehab Project 1: Construction planned for Fall 2028 through Summer 2029, with erosion control remaining in place through Summer 2030.
• Annual Manhole Rehabilitation Project: Construction planned during the Winter and Spring of each year.

When will the next round of smoke testing begin?

Smoke testing is planned for most summers – the next planned round of smoke testing is expected to begin in July or August 2026.

What is smoke testing?

Smoke testing is how we find cracks and improper connections to the sanitary sewer system. We blow smoke (or really, mist) into a sewer line and watch where it comes out.

This can show us:

• Cracks in the sewer line
• Defective sewer connections
• Improper cross‐connections with storm drains
• Building connections without proper traps or plumbing

Finding and fixing these sewer line problems helps protect public health and safety.

Is the smoke harmful to people?

No. It’s not really smoke. It’s a non‐toxic, non‐staining, odorless mist. Besides, it won’t enter your house if your plumbing is in good condition and all your drain traps have water.

Even so, avoid direct exposure if you have respiratory problems like asthma or emphysema. If you have questions or concerns, contact Kenny Cannady-Shultz at 971-204-4622 or kshultz@orcity.org.

What about pets?

If your pets stay inside during the day, and you are concerned about “smoke” entering your home, consider opening your windows. If they have respiratory problems, you might want to house them elsewhere that day.

Is it a fire hazard? Will it set off my fire alarm?

The "smoke" is not a fire hazard. However, it could still set off your fire alarm. Open your doors and windows to let it blow out.

What should I expect with the smoke test?

If your plumbing is in good condition and all your drain traps have water, “smoke” won’t enter your house. It may come out of your roof vents, though.

Sometimes drain traps on faucets that haven’t been used in a while will allow “smoke” to enter a building. To prevent this, run water through all your faucets the day before smoke testing is scheduled to start. This refills any drain traps with water and will prevent “smoke” from entering a room.

I filled all my drain traps, but “smoke” still entered my building. What should I do?

It means your plumbing has a problem that could be letting sewer gases inside. This can be caused by:

• A leak in your plumbing
• A sewer vent that vents to your attic or inside your building instead of above your roof
• A faulty seal such as your toilet's wax ring
• A drain that doesn’t have a trap

If this happens:

• Open your windows and turn on any ventilation. The “smoke” should clear within a few minutes.
• Call the number listed on the door hanger you receive. If there is an issue outside the building that may have caused “smoke” inside your building, the City will fix any problems with City sewer pipes that may have caused this. If there is no outside issue, it is advised to contact a licensed plumber to help locate and repair the building’s plumbing.

Does the City notify people in an area before doing a smoke test?

Yes. The City or its contractor notifies residents and businesses at least 24 hours before work starts. 

How much testing has the City done before?

The I&I Program has been performing smoke testing since 2022; before the I&I Program began its testing efforts, the City smoke tested older portions of the sewer system in 2016.  See the below map for a summary of the areas that have been smoke tested since 2022:

Additional questions?

Contact Kenny Cannady-Shultz, Project Manager

971-204-4622 | kshultz@orcity.org

Smoke Testing Fact Sheet

View our Annual Reports

To support ongoing Inflow and Infiltration (I & I) Program design and construction of Projects, work is done (continually) to monitor and identify problems in the program basins sewer systems. This work is necessary to determine how effective the rehabilitation projects are at keeping I & I out of the sewer. 

Other activities, regularly performed through this program include: 

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Surveys of Sanitary Sewer Main lines

Portions of the sanitary sewer system (that are part of the I & I program) are surveyed annually utilizing Close Circuit Television (CCTV).  CCTV is a method in which contractors survey the sewer system by sending a robotic camera down manholes and cleanouts. These cameras record video of internal, up close structural conditions within these systems that are then inspected by the program contractors, and engineers. CCTV inspections are performed to identify: 

• Cracks, breaks, root intrusions, or other defects in the pipes.
• Pipe material transitions.
• Where sewer lateral pipes connect to the mainline.

The City and the I&I Program consultant team, led by Wallis Engineering, determine the sewer system sections to survey each year. This is done to: 

• Support ongoing design projects.
• Check on completed repairs.
• Replace old survey data that is no longer useful for evaluating pipe condition.
• Improve survey coverage in areas the I&I program hasn’t surveyed yet.
• Gather information about current and future I&I rehabilitation priority basins.

Current CCTV survey efforts are focused in the McLoughlin, Newell, and South End (Which parts of the City are in the Program?).  Impacts to traffic, from ongoing surveys,  will be rare and minimal. Advance notification will be made in the event of significant impacts to traffic. 

Flow Monitoring

The City monitors sewer flows every year by placing flow meters within certain manholes. This monitoring is performed each winter, typically tracking flows for 1-2 months, within the period between February and May. The flow meters are typically removed once the monitoring period has experienced each of the following weather patterns, at least once:

• Several weeks of intermittent rain, containing only minor storms).
• One major storm (at least 1” of rain falling over 24-hours).
• Several weeks of little to no rain.

Comparing how these flows react to these different weather patterns can provide a lot of information about how I&I rehabilitation efforts are doing at reducing I&I, even without detailed modelling. A detailed model is required to quantify how much I&I flows are being reduced, however.

Flow monitoring results have been completed for the following years:

• 2023 (March through May)
• 2024 (February through March)

View Our Annual Reports