Supervisor Valerie Starkey, District 2 – July 7, 2026
Areas boxed in will be smoke tested. Smoke may emanate outside of these limits.
A quick heads-up for those who live in the Northcrest area and surrounding neighborhoods.
Beginning Monday, July 13, Del Norte County will be conducting non-toxic sewer smoke testing for approximately one month. If you notice smoke coming from manholes, roof vents, or other parts of the sewer system, there’s no need for alarm. This is a planned part of the testing process, and the smoke is safe.
One thing you can do to prepare is make sure all of the drains in your home have water in them, especially sinks, showers, tubs, floor drains, washer drains, and any drains that aren’t used very often. A little water in each drain keeps the P-traps full and helps prevent smoke from entering your home during testing.
If smoke does enter your home, it may be a sign of a plumbing issue such as a dry P-trap or an improperly vented drain. While the smoke itself is harmless, it can identify places where sewer gases could also enter, so it’s something you’ll want to have checked.
Crews will notify residents at least 24 hours before testing begins on their street.
The purpose of this project is to locate broken pipes and improper connections that allow rainwater into the sewer system. Finding and fixing these issues helps protect our wastewater system and can save money by reducing unnecessary treatment costs.
If you have questions, you can contact the Del Norte County Engineering & Surveying Division at (707) 464-7229 during regular business hours or email [email protected].
Please take a look at the map below to see the general areas where testing will take place.
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