The City’s transmission lines are part of a regional water supply system that serves about 600,000 people throughout Snohomish County. Their primary function is to carry potable water to City of Everett reservoirs and to deliver water to our customers, from our largest wholesaler to single families. Transmission lines need regular maintenance that requires us to shut off water service to a portion of our customers in the affected area.

Coupling Repair Project - Spring 2019

On Wednesday, April 24, at 1 a.m., crews will close service connections on part of Transmission Line 5. 

Who Is Impacted

• City of Everett residents will not be affected.
• All services west of Bickford will be off. East of Bickford, only a few services will be shut off, but some customers may experience a difference in pressure. See project map.
• Effected customers will receive several notifications prior to the shutdown.

Work Schedule

• 1 a.m., Wed., April 24 – City crews will take appropriate measures to protect water quality during the repairs, then shut off service connections and close necessary valves. Crews will drain the pipeline west of Bickford Avenue. The line will take several hours to drain.
• Daylight, Wed., April 24 – Crews will begin repairing couplings at eight locations on the transmission line across Ebey Island.
• Late Afternoon or early evening April 24 – City crews will be finishing up the repair work by this time. Once the repairs are complete, crews will ensure water quality by flushing the line and then refilling it. Refilling must be done gradually to protect the transmission line. Once the pipeline is fully pressurized, water quality samples will be taken.
• Evening of April 24 to 7 a.m., Thurs., April 25  – Connections will be put back in service, and the coupling repair project will conclude. Once the pipeline is back in service and connections are open, the city will issue notices to customers and update the project webpage. Effected single-family residences can check if their service is on by opening a tap and should expect some release of air once the tap is opened.

Project Significance

This transmission line shutdown will impact many customers. Work is being coordinated with the Washington State Department of Health and the Snohomish County Health District to protect the integrity of the water system, with robust communications to effected customers and water systems. TL5 is one of 4 pipelines that carry water from the Water Filtration Plant to the City of Everett for distribution to local customers and regional water systems.