The City of Saskatoon will be conducting “smoke” tests to identify any leaks where sewage or gas could escape from in the Buena Vista and Nutana areas.
Testing at two locations will begin late Wednesday morning and run throughout the afternoon.
City officials said it’s part of an investigation into reports of sewer odours.
READ MORE: City apologizes for odour from wastewater treatment plant in northwest Regina
Traffic will be restricted from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. CT on Lorne Avenue from 8th Street to 9th Street as well as on Saskatchewan Crescent East, west of McPherson Avenue.
An oil-based, smoke product will be vented into the sewer system through manholes and tracked to identify any holes or cracks in the contained area.
People in the testing area should not be alarmed if they see thick, white smoke exiting from the vent stacks on houses and potentially from catch basins tied to the sanitary sewer system.
It is possible for the smoke to enter homes through rarely-used drain traps. To prevent this, homeowners in the area can simply run water for one minute into all drains on Wednesday morning.
Officials said the smoke is an odourless, non-toxic material that has been safely used for over two decades.