FOLLOWUP: Stuck-truck sinkhole blamed on stormwater-pipe break


(WSB photos: Above, this afternoon; below, Monday afternoon)

Seattle Public Utilities was back today at the 24th SW/SW Kenyon intersection where a Waste Management truck got stuck (as first reported here Monday afternoon, thanks to a reader tip, and updated until the truck was taken away three-plus hours later).

SPU spokesperson Marieke Rake tells WSB that they found a damaged stormwater pipe beneath the street, and that’s what they believe caused the sinkhole (their term, “void”). She added that an SPU maintenance team is cleaning the downstream pipe to remove debris,” and within a few days they’ll “have an estimated pipe-repair timeframe.”

5 Replies to "FOLLOWUP: Stuck-truck sinkhole blamed on stormwater-pipe break"

  • newnative February 22, 2017 (8:49 am)

    Interesting no comments in response to your follow up story.  You used the term “sinkhole” from the very start of this incident and people made the whole thing about potholes.  Now that you have reported the source of the sinkhole, there are crickets.  

    Pipelines, faulty sewer systems and dirty water being flushed through our neighborhoods is an alarming issue.  

    Thanks for following up.  

    • Mike February 23, 2017 (8:35 am)

      that or the timing of the posts are different and people are at work…working?  I’m on vacation right now.  You?

  • WSNeighbor February 22, 2017 (10:07 am)

    Newnative says “Pipelines, faulty sewer system and dirty water being flushed through our neighborhoods is an alarming issue.”

    It’s not alarming when everything works properly, as engineering infrastructure serves us well 99.999% of the time.  

    Pipes get old, ground settles, earthquakes happen, roots intrude, and/or cracks can open up.  The only way to find these issues before a problem develops is through regular inspections.  So the question is “How often are City owned storm drain and sanitary wastewater pipes inspected for integrity?”  In my opinion inspection and maintenance to prevent this type of emergency is a core service we pay the City to perform when we pay our monthly utility bills.

    • newnative February 22, 2017 (2:19 pm)

      While I should added “broken” (pipelines), the statement was referring to the recent incidents caused by broken pipelines; ie. landslides, sinkholes, flooded streets.  I thought the dirty water and faulty sewer (sewage filter plants) was self-explanatory. 

    • Mike February 23, 2017 (8:38 am)

      We pay for a lot of things we don’t get. Our money is regularly ‘reallocated’ to other projects.  Sawant wanted to pull a double Irish with a Dutch sandwich style switcheroo to fund her projects, taking money away from SPD.  Politicians are great at selling you with the left hand and punching you with the right.

Sorry, comment time is over.