EVERETT — Everett’s water utility restored service to a portion of a pipeline east of Lake Stevens on Tuesday after a fracture discovered over the weekend forced the utility to shut off the water.
The fracture was discovered in a transmission line, a large-capacity pipe with the capacity to carry 50 million gallons of water per day. There were 36 direct connections to the line in the affected area, the water utility said, including 22,000 customers served by the Snohomish County Public Utility District and 25 single-family homes.
Everett water utility crews discovered the leak on Saturday and shut off the water Sunday morning. On Monday afternoon, crews expected repairs to not be complete for at least 24 hours. But after overnight work, crews were able to restore service by 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, the utility announced that morning.
The Snohomish County Public Utility District is in the process of refilling its reservoirs and monitoring its water system, spokesperson Aaron Swaney said Tuesday. The system is expected to recover by Wednesday, he said. The utility district is asking customers in the Lake Stevens and Snohomish area to conserve water until Wednesday evening.
Most in the area did not see their water shut off or water quality diminish as the utility district used a reservoir that provided water to customers in the meantime. Those with direct connections to the affected portion of the transmission line, however, lost access to water.
Due to the fracture, the district shut off water to one of its customers, Lake Connor Park, a recreational vehicle park east of Lake Stevens.
“This was due to the combination of sizable water loss on their side of the meter and the curtailment order issued to all customers,” Swaney said Tuesday. ”The shut off was an unusual action but one that became necessary when the outage was expected to extend into Tuesday night.”
The pipeline, known as Transmission Line 3, was installed in 1936. Pressure inside the pipe can exceed 180 pounds per square inch. Everett’s water system, which serves over 600,000 people across Snohomish County, uses four transmission lines.
For homes which lost water service during the outage, Everett’s water utility recommends running water for up to 30 minutes to clear haziness or discoloration. Though water may appear discolored, it is still safe to drink, the utility said.
Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
