Amador County – The Sutter Creek City Council declared an emergency Monday to start $20,000 in repairs work on a broken sewer pipeline on Karsan Drive, after a sewer spill.

City Manager Sean Rabe showed the council photos of the sewage spill caused by heavy root growth within underground pipes, which were cleared only to clog again a few days later. The photo showed the sewage pooling in the yard of a house on Karsan Drive. He said the spill was contained and cleaned up and the site was sanitized.

Combining to the clog and leak was that there was no manhole for repairs, and the clog was caused by unknown reasons. Pipes in the area are a “mishmash,” Rabe said, made of metal, terra cotta clay and plastic. He asked that the council “declare that an emergency exists due to potential health and safety issues for a sewer line replacement on Oak Court and authorize work to be done to replace the required amount of sewer line.”

He asked for the emergency to sidestep the formal bidding process so repair work could begin 7 a.m. the morning after the council meeting.

In public comment, Mimi Arata asked which city funds would pay for the project. Rabe said the money would come from the “collection system” fund and from the “line replacement” fund.

Rabe said after the original clogging of the sewer line, on Karsan Drive, city staff worked to try to unclog it, and were unable to removed a piece of equipment from the line. Rabe authorized staff to call Amador Mechanical to help with repairs, and they were able to get the wastewater flowing.

The repair clogged again a few days later, and the city crew again tried to unclog the line. “Amador Mechanical was called out again, due to the immediate health and safety issues of sewer leakage.”

Rabe said he and the city sewer engineer recommended the emergency declaration, and also recommended hiring Amador Mechanical to do the work because the “firm has already been involved in the examination of the line and knows what will be involved in the repair.”

A preliminary estimate of the line replacement cost was approximately $20,000, and Rabe said “staff would bring back any additional funding request if the repair goes over the estimate.” The council approved the declaration, and also the hiring of Amador Mechanical.

The work includes making needed replacement of sewer lines, and installing a manhole at the location, as the “pipe has collapsed on itself and there are several lines connecting at one point, without a manhole.”

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.