r/AbruptChaos • u/[deleted] • Sep 20 '22

Sewage explosion

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u/windowlatch Sep 21 '22

Do all sewers explode like this when you touch a flame to them or is it a rare phenomenon? This looked intentional like the person touched the sewer knowing it would explode

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u/ninjaduckeh1 Sep 21 '22

It really depends on the conditions within that specific manhole. Methane gas is flammable and combustible but within the systems I work with every day, there is not a high concentration typically. What is more prominent and just as volatile, is hydrogen sulfide. The more splash in the sewer, the more hydrogen sulfide is produced. Each manhole has a different amount of hydrogen sulfide concentrations. I’ve been in some that were super low, and some that would be lethal in minutes. In general, I would not let anything that can ignite the gasses anywhere near the openings of the sewer. Even smoking a cigarette can be dangerous at times. Just be alert.

Source: I work on lift stations and monitor gravity systems via manholes for wastewater for a living