Something Is Crawling In The Sewer's Of Seattle

No, it's not alligators but cameras that the city is using to watch for big problems flowing beneath your feet. Today, I got a special opportunity to see how Seattle Public Utilities is using mini robotic cameras to check for clogs and cracks in the pipes.

These little cameras are pretty cool, they are lowered into the sewers and send back live images to the work crews. You never know "what" you might see because the sewer lines are for sanitation and sewer water, so cover your nose. Also, don't be surprised if a rat pops up from time to time. Crews tell me the big ones are in downtown Seattle. Might be because of all the businesses and restaurants.

SPU has just kicked off a new program to get people to stop dumping sludge down their drains. It's a play on words education program called "FOG" and stands for fats, oils, and grease.
The city says hospitals, restaurants, schools, and other businesses dump a lot of the gooey stuff down the old pipe. But, homes, condos, and apartments aren't any better.

According to the city its using the cameras as preventative maintenance to fix problems before they can become something more serious. In theory a clogged pipe could send fecal waste into your home or yard that's not yummy.

SPU crews work on about 7 to 10 city pipes a day and for good reason. They have about 1,500 miles of pipe they are responsible for! When they get one that is all jacked up with goo, they have a super high powered pressure washer they can use to clean them out.

A big warning for property owners who think the city will fix the pipe that's clogged from your home, turns out that is your responsibility. They will only unclog their pipes. But, if the city pipe is the reason for your problem, then you should be covered.

So, think before the next time you dump something down the drain you never know, it could come back up and that wouldn't be good.