Less than a week after the city of Mercer Island declared a local emergency to address a pair of water main breaks, the city informed the public on Aug. 12 that one of the ruptures requires a larger emergency repair to restore service.

The currently unmended break occurred along East Mercer Way near Clarke Beach Park on the evening of Aug. 5 and has impacted five homes near the 7700 block of East Mercer Way, according to a previous Reporter story.

“Design and engineering work is currently underway, and a contractor is being mobilized to begin work as early as next week to complete the replacement,” the city said on Aug. 12. “The work will occur within the existing roadway closure and will include the replacement of approximately 200 feet of water main due to failed pipe integrity. The five homes impacted by this break currently have temporary water service.”

The water is safe to drink, the city added.

“We are hoping to get that work done sooner, but for the community’s purposes and planning purposes, let’s just plan for four weeks for now, and if we get it done sooner, great. We are working as quick as we can to get it done, but there are some challenges with this site,” Jason Kintner, chief of operations and public works director, told the Reporter on Aug. 14.

Along with the length of pipe, Kintner said another contributing factor to the situation is that a parallel gas main runs nearly right next to the water main and it’s difficult to place tools around the pipe to reach it. Crews will have to realign the water main to work on the project.

As for the five impacted homes, Kintner said that one of the techniques crews utilized to provide temporary water service was tapping off another residence until they can replace the water main within the aforementioned time frame.

“We did advise them to boil their water before they consume it just because it’s a temporary service. We also delivered bottled water, and then we also had some other water from our emergency pantry that is used for their toilets and things like that,” said Kintner, noting that residents can take showers, flush their toilets and they have water coming out of their faucets.

The Reporter reached out to one of the residents of the five affected homes but didn’t receive a response at press time.

With Island residents’ and visitors’ safety at the top of the city’s priorities list during construction and due to structural damage to the roadway, officials have announced the continued closure of East Mercer Way between Southeast 76th Street and the north end of Clarke Beach Park to vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians for the next month or so. It’s possible that the city may open one lane to traffic sooner.

The section of roadway is barricaded, and people are asked to remain safe by not moving the signs or entering the area. The city said that all homes are accessible during the closure, and a map of recommended detours is posted on its site.

“Large vehicles moving construction equipment and machinery, as well as the compromised nature of the road surface, create dangerous conditions that may not be immediately apparent,” the city said.

It was the second break that happened on the evening of Aug. 5, with the first one taking place in the 8300 block of East Mercer Way and affecting water service for about 50 homes. On the morning of Aug. 6, the city said that crews had repaired the initial break and were flushing the lines, and service was restored that morning.

According to the emergency proclamation signed by City Manager Jessi Bon on Aug. 7, the emergency impacts the public health, safety and welfare of residents and workers on Mercer Island along with the continuity of government operations.

The proclamation also states that the city can invoke pertinent emergency powers and authority to enter into contracts without limitation and employ temporary workers to promptly attend to the water main breakage.

It was brought to the Reporter’s attention on Aug. 14 that there was also an AC water main break on the night of Aug. 5 that impacted 15 homes on Southeast 71st Street. That third break of the evening was repaired.

The water main breaks come less than a month after Mercer Island Mayor Salim Nice signed three letters of appreciation to state legislators for their appropriation requests and votes in support of the $1.2 million in state grant funding for the city’s new water supply pipeline.

A Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) underground water pipe sprung a leak on April 3, 2024; after extensive repairs along with filling, flushing and disinfecting the water supply pipe, Islanders resumed normal water use on Aug. 1, 2024.

Kintner said it’s important to note that the 2024 situation is related to SPU infrastructure, and the Aug. 5 breakages happened to city water mains.

“The city’s been very, very active in working towards improving this infrastructure. We’re sort of in this unique time period where it’s coming of age at the same time we’re replacing it,” said Kintner. He added that city council and the community have been supportive of expediting capital projects, and Mercer Island is prioritizing water main replacements.

For more information and updates, visit: https://orlo.uk/fYxYw