For the second day in a row, we’re hearing of brown water in a West Seattle neighborhood … didn’t get a chance to publish the report Wednesday from Gatewood but just got a new one from Morgan Junction. They’ve reported it to Seattle Public Utilities, as you certainly should if it happens at your home or business – the 24-hour number is 206-386-1800. The discoloration is usually just rust stirred up in the lines, and the one thing you definitely don’t want to do until it clears up is laundry.

Thanks to Libby for the report – brown water in the Fairmount Park area. Libby has already reported this to Seattle Public Utilities – 206-386-1800, the number to ALWAYS call about water trouble – and says SPU advised that there’s hydrant testing in the area. (The discoloration is caused when unusual activity, from hydrant testing to a fire response to a pipe break, stirs up “sediment,” most often rust, in the system.)

Almost 15 months after Seattle Public Utilities started work on the Alki Pump Station 38 overhaul, the work is concluding, according to an announcement this afternoon. That includes the art shown in the photo, which extends to a new screened guardrail at the site, by artist Sarah Thompson Moore, inspired by Alki’s topographical features and history. A few details remain, per the city announcement:

As contractor crews transition off the project, they have a few final items to finish within the pump station itself over the next week. Otherwise, the roadway has been paved, the landscaping is currently in its establishment period, and the decorative utility cabinet wrap has been installed.

We recently put in new plants and grass seed around the pump station. To deter people and pets from walking in the areas so the grass can establish properly, the caution tape and stakes will remain up through December.

When the work started almost 15 months ago, SPU said it was expected to last about nine months. Most of the overhaul work was intended to upgrade the station infrastructure to deal with what SPU described as “a significant increase in flows.”

A reminder in case you didn’t see last week’s announcment or the postal mailer – or just forgot! – Thursday night is when Seattle Public Utilities plans to cut water service to 650 customers (mostly residential) in Morgan Junction, Gatewood, and Fauntleroy. 9 pm Thursday (October 5) to 4 am Friday (October 6) are the scheduled hours. The outage is for what’s essentially preventive maintenance – adding three valves to the system “to increase flexibility for how we send water through the distribution system (and to) reduce the number of customers impacted during future outages, whether during emergency repairs or planned shutdowns” like this, SPU says. The work will be done at California/Frontenac. Here’s the official notice.

If your home is among the 650+ Seattle Public Utilities customers that will be affected by a planned overnight water outage next week – first reported here yesterday – watch your postal mail for the official notice. (We’re affected and received ours this morning.) Notification is one of the things we asked SPU’s Sabrina Register about when following up on the announcement of the outage, scheduled to start at 9 pm Thursday, October 5th, ending by 4 am Friday, October 6th, affecting 650+ customers in Morgan Junction, Gatewood, and Fauntleroy. The notice said crews would be replacing three valves, so we asked where and why, and whether it was related at all to the frequent brown-water reports earlier this year. First answer: The work will be done at California/Frontenac. As for the rest, it’s explained as mostly preventive maintenance:

The valves are additions to the existing system and do not replace old equipment. This won’t alter pressure or increase capacity, and the work is unrelated to discolored water occurrences. The purpose of the valve installation is to increase flexibility for how we send water through the distribution system. Additionally, the valves will reduce the number of customers impacted during future outages, whether during emergency repairs or planned shutdowns such as the one that will occur on October 5. Specifically, this work will allow for isolating the feeder main in California Ave north or south of the intersection. Generally, we are working to add valves throughout the system where we have long stretches of main with valves spaced far apart.

The official notice – most of which we featured in yesterday’s report – is here.

6:49 AM: Thanks for the tips. 4,500+ customers are out of power in West Seattle. More info to come …

6:55 AM: Here’s a screengrab of the Seattle City Light map showing who’s out. No word yet on the cause – let ud know if you see SCL crews near you. (Jay texted to say “wires were popping and flashing down in Delridge again,” so that may be a clue. Avalon Way residents report hearing what sounded like “transformers blowing,” too.)

7:06 AM: Multiple commenters in and near North Delridge also report “three booms” preceding the outage. The footprint is slightly different from previous outages traced to a similar cause.

7:16 AM: Zooming in on the map, it appears to be skipping the schools that are in/near the affected areas, but please let us know if you hear anything from school leadership.

7:26 AM: Readers note that the 35th/Fauntleroy and 35th/Avalon signals are out. Remember – if a signal’s out, that intersection becomes an all-way stop. … Texter reports Avalon/Genesee and Genesee/Delridge signals also are out.

8:10 AM: Some are back on – the map shows the outage down to 2,580+ customers. … A commenter mentions that Tilden School on the north edge of The Junction (WSB sponsor) is affected and planning a late start as a result.

8:25 AM: Here’s the updated outage map with the remaining 2,580+ customers who are still out:

8:42 AM: Allison noted low water pressure in the Admiral area. She reports SPU (always report water trouble to 206-386-1800) told her a pump station is affected by the outage, and that’s caused the pressure problem.

9:18 AM: City Light says on Twitter/X, “Crews are still working to determine the cause of the outage to make necessary repairs.”

10:39 AM: A few hundred more customers are back on, as commenters note. Map says it’s now 2,329 customers (each home/business/etc. equals a customer, regardless of how many people are served there).

10:59 AM: Thanks again for the updates. SCL map now shows everybody else back on. (If you’re not – be sure they know – 206-684-3000.) … Per SCL on Twitter/X, “The cause was determined to be a tree branch that fell on a line along California Avenue.”

3:05 PM Police are closing 42nd SW between Genesee and Oregon because of a gas leak at the 42nd/Genesee apartment-construction site. A 4-inch line was “barely nicked,” firefighters have told dispatch. Avoid the area for a while.

3:09 PM: Thanks to John for the photo. So far firefighters have not reported detecting any major levels of leaked gas.

3:45 PM: Firefighters have just told dispatch that Puget Sound Energy “has secured the leak,” so the emergency response is winding down.

650 homes/businesses in the mapped area of Morgan Junction, Gatewood, and Fauntleroy will be without water 9 pm Thursday, October 5th, to 4 am Friday, October 6th. Seattle Public Utilities just sent us the notice that will be circulated to affected homes/businesses:

WATER OUTAGE TO OCCUR AT 9 PM ON OCTOBER 5 AND LAST UNTIL 4 AM ON OCTOBER 6

Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) will be working on an upgrade of the drinking water system. SPU crews will install three new valves on a water main along California Ave SW.

This work will require a temporary water shutdown for about 650 customers in the area.

The shutdown will start at 9 pm on Thursday, October 5 and last until 4 am on Friday, October 6.

If you think you’ll need to use water during this overnight water shutdown, here are some ways you can prepare for the water outage:

Before the water outage:
• Fill pots on the stove with water for cooking.
• Fill a couple of buckets with water for washing.
• Fill potable water containers for drinking.
• Fill bathtubs with water and use buckets to flush toilets. A toilet will flush when approximately a gallon of water is dumped into the bowl.

During the water outage:
Try not to operate the water faucets. This will prevent air from entering your plumbing.

Discolored Water After an Outage
Water outages can sometimes disturb the direction or flow of water in the City’s drinking water system. When this happens, customers in or near the outage area may experience temporary discolored water.
Discolored water comes from internal pipe rust and sediment getting stirred up when the water is turned on after an outage. The water should clear on its own. If the water remains discolored, please contact SPU’s Operations Response Center at (206) 386-1800.

We’re asking some followup questions, such as where the work will be happening that night. Meantime, you can get a closer look at the map of the affected area by going to the SPU Water Outage map page, clicking on “planned,” and clicking on the 7111 California listing.

(SPU photo)

That’s the Cedar River Watershed, part of where Seattle’s water supply originates. This morning, the city is asking you to use less of that water. Here’s the announcement we just received from Seattle Public Utilities:

After an unusually dry summer and an extended forecast that calls for continued dry conditions, Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) today asked its customers to voluntarily use less water. SPU activated its Water Shortage Contingency Plan and is in the voluntary reduction stage, a necessary action to stretch the water supply until fall rains return.

Seattle is working to manage water supplies for people and fish during this extended dry period. SPU asked its 1.5 million customers, which includes people in King County who receive Seattle Water through the Utility’s wholesale customers, to voluntarily reduce their water use until further notice.

“SPU staff has been thoughtfully preparing for dry conditions throughout the summer, working to ensure an adequate water supply for the needs of residents and fish throughout our region. With these dry conditions sticking around, we must all do our part,” said Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell. “That’s why, at the recommendation of SPU, I’m activating the voluntary stage of the plan and asking residents to cut back on water use until significant rains return in the fall.”

Ways people can reduce their water use:

• Stop watering lawns (It’s OK to efficiently water newly planted lawns, young plants and trees, and vegetable gardens).

• Take shorter or fewer showers.

• Check for and fix leaks now, especially running toilets.

Find more water-saving tips at www.savingwater.org .

“Our customers are great stewards of our environment and already use water wisely every day, and we believe they will take our request to heart,” said Andrew Lee, General Manager of Seattle Public Utilities. “This will be a temporary ask until the fall rains return.”

City of Seattle departments are making immediate operational changes to reduce their water use and stretch the water supply as far as possible.

People who want to stay informed on how well SPU commercial, residential, and wholesale customers are reducing their water use can visit SPU’s At Your Service blog.

SPU manages two large, regional watersheds that supply its 1.5 million customers with some of the cleanest water in the nation. Investing in water conservation programs over several decades has helped stretch water supplies much further than originally anticipated. For example, over the last 40 years, the regional water system has grown from serving 1 to 1.5 million customers, but overall water use has decreased by 30%. Despite this population growth, customers use onlyas much water overall as used in the 1950s.

“While not highly visible work, SPU has done a remarkable job year after year of managing our most precious resource, including watershed protection and careful daily and long-term water resource planning,” said Noel Miller, Chair of the SPU Customer Review Panel. “While our area is typically blessed with sufficient precipitation, SPU’s steadfast commitment to our water supply for people and fish is the reason its customers rarely are asked to reduce water use, even during drier and hotter years.”

For details related to this announcement, including water-saving tips in multiple languages, a map highlighting SPU residential, commercial and wholesale customers, and weekly updates on how much water customers are saving, go here.

9:09 AM: Thanks for the tip! 23 homes in southwesternmost West Seattle have been without power since just before 6:30 this morning. No cause listed yet; we’re checking with Seattle City Light; a screengrab of SCL’s outage map shows the outage location.

3:36 PM: The outage has ended since we last checked the map earlier this afternoon. Here’s what SCL’s Jenn Strang tells us about the cause: “Crews found a blown fuse caused by a tree branch contacting wires near 47th Ave SW and Maplewood Place SW. Additional vegetation management and overhead line crews needed to be called in to clear multiple spots of branches growing into the lines in this area before reenergization.”

(WSB photo, this morning)

11:54 AM: Earlier this week, we wrote about the longrunning leak that’s left the street chronically wet at California/Edmunds, and Seattle Public Utilities‘ response suggesting our inquiry was the first they’d heard of it. Multiple readers, however, said they’d reported it to the city weeks and months ago. While we awaited a response to our followup inquiry, another commenter pointed out that no-parking signs were placed nearby for work tonight – and today, SPU’s Sabrina Register confirms that:

Thank you for bringing this leak to our attention, and to the customers who reported it to our Operations Response Center (ORC: 206-386-1800), the best route to report flooding and ponding issues and sewer backups. Our crews respond to roughly 800-1,000 potential water leaks alone in any given year, so we appreciate customers helping us find leaks across the City.

The ORC did receive reports of this leak, and we apologize to those customers who felt like their reports were ignored. With the exception of significant, emergency repairs, we perform the work in a more planned and coordinated manner, which can take some time to get the required permits and approvals.

The leak is scheduled to be repaired this evening (September 14), pending coordination with affected businesses in the vicinity. On these types of planned repairs, we work with local businesses in advance because their water service is often shut off for a temporary, multi-hour period, and we can sometimes get the work done in the off-hours or middle of the night to limit those impacts.

So if you see SPU crews at work there tonight, that’s what’s going on. (So far, the SPU water map – which has a list of emergency and scheduled outages – does not include this work.)

ADDED THURSDAY EVENING: While we were in The Junction for the West Seattle Art Walk, we noted the work had begun:

The northbound lanes were blocked but two-way traffic was continuing via a temporary repurposing of a southbound lane.