ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. — If you live in St. Johns County, you may have noticed some 'Smoke Test In Progress' signs in your neighborhood.
There's nothing to panic about. These tests are regularly performed to check for leaks or cracks in sewer lines.
During Eddie Bejarano's nightly golf cart rides with his family, these signs made him pump the brakes.
Eddie, like many other residents in this neighborhood, tell First Coast News they had no clue what a smoke test was, while others showed us a notice they received from JEA alerting them of the test.
According to JEA, smoke testing is a common test used to determine if there are any leaks or cracks in underground wastewater lines.
Utility companies conduct these tests in order to provide safe wastewater services. A crew member will use a small fan to blow smoke into a sewer line through a manhole.
If there's an underground break in the line then smoke will rise out, they'll locate the issue and repairs will be made.
"If they’re proactive about it then they can find it and they can kind of stop it before it gets really bad," said Bejarano.
You may be asking if any of this is harmful.
The odorless smoke is non-toxic, non-staining and non-flammable and the smoke should not enter your home.
However, anyone with respiratory conditions such as emphysema and asthma should avoid exposure to the smoke.
"It’s really kind of forthcoming because in my previous house they didn’t do that. So it’s kind of nice to see them doing that here,"
If any smoke goes into your home, you can reach out to JEA Project Outreach team at 904-665-7500.