Dec. 21, 2006
King County repairing sewer pipe near Luther Burbank Park
Traffic, bus route detours on 84th Avenue Southeast
King County contractors and staff are working to repair a leaky
sewer pipe discovered late yesterday afternoon near Luther Burbank Park
on Mercer Island.
Inspection crews discovered
that the 18-inch pipe, which carries wastewater from the North Mercer
Pump Station to South Treatment Plan in Renton, had three fractures
that began leaking after a severe storm on Dec. 14 caused high flows
that pressurized the pipe. During normal flow levels, these fractures
would not leak.
To protect public health, the
county has posted the beach and portions of the park as closed, took
water samples, and told local health and regulatory agencies about the
leak. Neighbors have been told about the county’s emergency response
and repairs.
To prevent additional leaks,
Wastewater Treatment Division staff took pressure off the damaged pipe
by reducing pumping capacity at North Mercer. However, saturated soil
from the leak caused a depression in the roadway beneath 84 th Avenue
Southeast near Southeast 26 th Street.
For public
safety, 84 th Avenue Southeast will be closed between Southeast 26 th
Street and Southeast 24 th Street until the county can complete sewer
line repairs. Local access will be maintained for nearby residents.
Road closure and reroute
map (Adobe Acrobat format)
The
road closure will also affect Metro bus routes in that area, which will
be rerouted around the closure. Check Metro Online at http://transit.metrokc.gov for details.
Over
the next week, King County will work to determine the extent of any
damage and develop a plan to repair the pipe. Construction will get
under way in early January.
People enjoy clean
water and a healthy environment because of King County's wastewater
treatment program. The county’s Wastewater Treatment Division protects
public health and water quality by serving 17 cities, 17 local sewer
utilities and more than 1.4 million residents in King, Snohomish and
Pierce counties. Formerly called Metro, the regional clean-water agency
now operated by King County has been preventing water pollution for
more than 40 years.
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Note to editors and reporters:
Visit the WTD Newsroom, a portal to information for the news media
about the Wastewater Treatment Division, King County Department of
Natural Resources and Parks: http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/newsroom/.