EVERETT — The city is having its share of plumbing problems this week.
City workers scrambled to fix a busted water main that sent thousands of gallons of water spilling down an Everett street Wednesday morning.
That’s on top of a sewage leak that contaminated Beverly Lake sometime b
efore Monday.
Wednesday’s spill left nearby residents and businesses without water and temporarily shut down the block.
The city received a call about 6:30 a.m. that water was gushing out of the ground at the 2500 block of Rucker Avenue.
“Fortunately, we had a crew in the area and we had them out there in five to 10 minutes,” said public works director Dave Davis.
It’s not clear why the pipe burst, Davis said. Crews found an 8-inch-long fracture in the line. The pipe was installed in 1954 and is made of cast iron.
“We have no idea of the cause,” he said. “It’s not weather and it’s not age — we have much older pipes.”
Both the length of the break and the large diameter of the pipe led to the tremendous torrent. Officials are estimating the pipe spewed as much as 70,000 gallons.
City pipes burst about once a month, but they’re usually a far less dramatic event.
“It’s one of those unfortunate things,” he said. “The pipes are under tremendous pressure and over the course of time, some fatigue.”
Earlier in the week, workers had to contend with a blocked sewer line near Beverly Lake at the 700 block of 75th Street SE.
As much as 10,000 gallons of raw sewage burbled out of manholes sometime before Monday and flowed into the nearby lake and onto a private playground.
Officials have warned residents nearby to keep away from both. They’re also monitoring the lake for E. coli and fecal coliform — nasty bacteria that can make people sick.
Workers got the sewage to stop leaking Monday and restored service to people living in the area.
They still haven’t unblocked the line.
This particular line is a high-maintenance area for the city with a history of problems, according to a report filed by the city with the Department of Ecology. The line is probably a concrete pipe that dates back to 1960 when the apartments nearby were built.
Until the city can unplug the pipe, workers are monitoring the area and have trucks on hand to suck up any rogue sewage.
The lake is surrounded by homes, condos and apartment buildings. The lake has no public access but people living around it do take smaller boats onto the lake. The city notified people who live nearby and posted signs, said city spokeswoman Kate Reardon.
The city will pay to clean up the playground and then test to make sure it is safe for children. As for the lake, people need to wait.
“We have to let nature take her course,” she said.
Reporter Debra Smith: 425-339-3197 or dsmith@heraldnet.com
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
