A city buys sensors to detect sewer gas leaks, not just smell them

A US government contract was awarded for gas sensors to monitor sanitary sewer systems. This means cities can now detect dangerous sewer gas leaks automatically, rather than relying on human reports or visual inspection.

For decades, cities mostly found sewer gas leaks when people complained about the smell, or when a worker found a problem during maintenance. This contract shows a shift towards proactive monitoring. It means cities can find leaks faster, before they become a bigger problem for public health or infrastructure.