Water main breaks at corner of Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive

A 10-inch water main broke on March 6 at the corner of Bell Road and Peace Portal Drive. Birch Bay Water and Sewer District personnel were on site to lend initial assistance. City of Blaine personnel also responded to the scene and had to hire a contractor, Colacurcio Brothers, to perform emergency repairs. The contractor’s crew worked until 5 a.m. the following morning. It was a difficult repair due to the age of the pipes and the difficulty of turning off valves in the vicinity, said Blaine public works director Ravyn Whitewolf at the March 9 city council meeting, where councilmembers voted 6-0 to declare an emergency and waive competitive bid requirements. Final restoration work still needed to be performed by the contractor, Whitewolf said.

Photo courtesy of Mike Sowers