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Mukilteo public works reports $40M in pipe repairs; pipelining technique produced near-term savings
Summary
Public-works staff told council that CCTV inspections have identified about $40 million in corrective maintenance on inspected pipes and described a new H-shaped PVC liner used this winter that can extend pipe life 50–70 years; the city completed the first round of pipelining this March and plans further lining and replacement projects over decades.
Public-works staff presented a multi-part update on the city’s CCTV and pipelining program at the April 13 work session and outlined longer-term stormwater outfall needs.
Staff said the nine-year CCTV program began in 2021 and divides the city into three zones; the northern zone is complete and central-zone work spans 2024–26. The city received roughly $900,000 from the Washington Department of Ecology to support the third zone of CCTV work. After inspecting about 32 miles of the city’s roughly 85 miles of pipe so far, staff estimated roughly $40,000,000 in corrective maintenance needs for the segments evaluated.
To reduce costs and disruption, staff showed a steam-inflated H-shaped PVC liner that is pushed through existing pipes, inflated with steam and adheres to the host pipe to seal defects. Staff said this type of liner can extend a lined pipe’s life by an estimated 50–70 years and avoids excavating pavement and relocating utilities; they noted this liner type was reportedly the first use of that product in the Pacific Northwest. The city budgeted $460,000 for this year’s pipelining round and completed work with an actual expense of $437,876; staff said future lining will likely continue for 10–15 years while full replacements will extend for multiple decades in deeper or severely damaged locations.
Staff also presented stormwater outfall findings: a landslide-discovered 80th outfall and other problematic outfalls (North and Diedrich) are being evaluated and staff proposed consolidating flows to a more stable Heritage View outfall by obtaining an easement and constructing a new 36-inch outfall plus stabilization (gabion baskets or similar). Preliminary design estimates for that work are $500,000–$600,000 with construction estimated at roughly $4,000,000–$6,000,000. Staff said those costs were not in the current surface-water rate structure and said they will explore low-interest loans from the Department of Ecology, FCS financial analysis, or other funding approaches.
Why it matters: The CCTV program and pipelining reduce the cost and disruption of repairs, but the city faces a sizable backlog of potential repairs and some high-cost excavation work for very deep failed pipes. Outfall consolidation and landslide stabilization are also substantial capital projects that will require financing decisions and right-of-way easements.
What’s next: Staff said another contract for pipelining and an upcoming consultant agreement for final outfall design will come to council, and staff will use the city’s new asset-management system (OpenGov) to better predict long-term costs.
(Reporting based only on the council work-session transcript.)
