LAKE STEVENS — Some residents may have noticed tan water coming from their tap Wednesday evening.
“Once we were notified that folks were experiencing dirty water we had crews out flushing until about 7 that night, just to make sure that that we were addressing it,” said Jeff Marrs, Everett public works operations superintendent.
Three Everett water transmission lines are being raised to accommodate the extension of 91st Avenue SE — the road to Costco. The city of Lake Stevens contracted Reece Construction to perform both the road extension and utilities modifications for about $3.4 million.
“With the grade of fill that needed to be added to that area, it was going to cause our transmission lines to be buried beyond a depth that was going to make it feasible for us to do any sort of ongoing maintenance and repairs,” Marrs said.
The first of the three transmission lines — transmission line four — was raised earlier this week. The sediment appearing in residents’ water is a result of repair work on that line that increased pressure and stirred up substances within the pipes.
The discolored water is safe to consume for a short period of time, Marrs said.
Transmission line three will be shutdown on the evening Sept. 27 and remain off until Sept. 30. The line serves 70 connections between 79th Ave SE and 157th Ave SE, said Julio Cortes, senior communications officer for the city of Everett.
Prior to the shutdown, residents should close toilet valves, shut off water heater valves and cover or mark faucets. Residents should not use any water appliances including washing machines and dishwashers.
The 70 connections on that line may also experience dirty water when they turn their faucets back on. Crews are currently working on transmission line two, but it will have no impact on residents’ service.
The city of Everett will be providing non-potable water at the Cavalero Hill Dog Park every day during the transmission line shutdown from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residents in need of water must bring their own containers.
If residents see sediment in their water, Marrs said he recommends running cool water through faucets for 20-30 minutes until the water turns clear.
If the discoloration continues, residents should call the 24-hour dispatch line at 425-257-8821.
More information about the transmission line work can be found on the city of Everett’s Transmission Line Maintenance website.
Isabella Breda: 425-339-3192; isabella.breda@heraldnet.com. Twitter: @BredaIsabella.
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