SEATTLE — Seattle Public Utilities is working to discover who dumped concrete into a sewer pipe on Fairview Avenue North, clogging 70 feet of the pipe.
"We don't know who did it. We're fairly certain we'll find out who did it because that amount of concrete is probably coming from a construction site nearby," said Cornell Amaya.
On Tuesday, contractors staged equipment to start digging into the street to replace the pipe.
Construction is expected to begin Thursday and push traffic to two lanes for half a block. Amaya estimates it will take up to five weeks to replace the pipe.
"That's going to be insane. There's going to be so much traffic," said Leah Clarin, who works nearby.
The sewer line has been temporarily diverted and the repair will cost about $350,000.
"When we figure out who did it, we will ask for compensation. There's no reason that our customers will have to pay for something like this," said Amaya.
Amaya says Seattle Public Utilities will try to match the type of concrete found inside the pipe to nearby construction sites.
"We'll be able to determine what type of concrete was used. We'll be able to compare that with the type of concrete approved for construction and that is being used, so we can actually do an investigation like this has an imprint like a fingerprint," said Amaya.
Tim O'Neill is a project executive for Skanksa, which is building a high-rise one block away from the concrete blockage.
He said the city has already contacted him.
"We run down beforehand and make sure they are clear and when we're done, we'll make sure again that the water and flow down the pipes," O'Neill added, "They have our video and we submit our video to them so they can see that our pipes were clear."
Amaya said this type of concrete blockage happens about three or four times a year.
"We usually always determine where it came from and what the cause was and who was behind it," said Amaya.
KIRO
