A sinkhole that developed at Front and Green streets has been filled in and secured, with city officials considering a potential $212,000 repair of the sewer line whose damage caused the issue. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

MARIETTA – Members of City Council are set to consider emergency legislation tonight to authorize nearly $212,000 to repair a sewer line where a sinkhole developed next to the ongoing levee project.

The sinkhole was discovered two weeks ago and was the result of a hole in an 80-year-old concrete sewer line beneath Front and Green streets near where work is continuing to work on the nearly $10 million Ohio River levee improvement project, said Ryan Boley, public utilities director for the city. A camera was used to find the hole in the line, which was patched and the sinkhole filled in.

But more was needed to correct the issue for the long term.

Rather than dig down to the pipe, which is 20 feet underground, the city opted to have Insituform Technologies, a company already doing work in Marietta on two other projects, pull a new liner through the pipe, Boley said. This will be less expensive and disruptive, while addressing more than just the area where the hole developed, he said.

“It’s going to address a whole section of pipe, from one manhole to another, that we know we’re going to have to replace” soon anyway, Boley said.

Crews continue work on the nearly $10 million Ohio River levee park project Wednesday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

An ordinance on the agenda for tonight’s regular City Council meeting at 7:30 p.m. at the Armory would declare an emergency and authorize Safety Service Director Steve Wetz to enter a contract with Insituform at a cost not to exceed $211,972 for the project. Boley said the money would come from unappropriated funds for wastewater.

The liner must be made before the work can begin, Boley said.

“They’ve told us that they’ll get to it within the next 30 days,” he said.

In addition to continuing work on the Colegate Infiltration and Inflow project to repair sanitary sewer lines, Insituform will also clean and assess the main interceptor line connecting the one being repaired to the wastewater plant, Boley said. That is utilizing money left over from a separate project.

Evan Bevins can be reached at ebevins@newsandsentinel.com.

A sinkhole that developed at Front and Green streets has been filled in and secured, with city officials considering a potential $212,000 repair of the sewer line whose damage caused the issue. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Crews continue work on the nearly $10 million Ohio River levee park project Wednesday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)