The current sewers were made in 1960 and are now 66 years old. Because of this, to reduce the damage in the sewers, the Lake Stevens Sewer District has begun a project which will reline the sewers. Cured in place pipelining (CIPP) is a process where a liner is added to the inside of already existing pipes, reinforcing the pipe and allowing it to live longer.

The sewer lining project will help the residents of Lake Stevens. Even though it is going to help the residents in the future, it currently is disrupting the daily commutes of residents.

Students of Lake Stevens have been slowed down going to and from school because of this construction.

“I’ve been late to work a few times because of it,” senior Chase Eacker said.

It is also difficult to plan routes around Lake Stevens because the location of construction changes daily.

“It’s made my commute longer, so I get home later and it takes longer to get places, if I have to drive by there. […] I take the lower road around the lake more,” senior Landon Eacker said.

The sewer lining project will continue into August, and there are plans for other sewer refurbishing projects to start after this project finishes and if funding can be sustained.

CIPP will also allow the pipes to be refurbished without the need to dig up the ground. But for any pipes that can’t be reached or are difficult to line, the ground will need to be dug up.

“It uses a fiberglass resin and recoats the inside of old pipes so it can extend the life for about 50 more years with that new pipe…In order to make sure that we can continue safely transporting that sewage away from homes and into the treatment plant, we need to make sure that we’re rehabbing those lines or replacing them, if need be,” Lake Stevens Sewer District General Manager Mariah Low said.

To learn more about the current sewer project and the areas it is affecting, go to the Lake Stevens Sewer District website to learn more.