PRESS RELEASE - Mountain View Campus Impacted by Flooding Damage due to Watermain Break

City working to assess damage and restore services including the Pool operated by the YMCA

PORT TOWNSEND – A water main failure underneath Mountain View Campus caused major flooding damage on Tuesday evening into Wednesday morning.

The 2.5-inch pipe failed under approximately 100 PSI of pressure, which began to immediately inundate the boiler room and adjacent electrical panel. Staff responded immediately, but by the time the valve was shut off, the flooding had already done significant damage.

City staff from across department teams (Police, Public Works, Parks, Finance/IT, Comms, Administration) have worked through challenges from the time of the break and continue to do so. Staff have also been coordinating with our agency partners, like the YMCA, Food Bank, Working Image/Dove House, and Red Cross, who share tenancy at the Mountain View Campus with some City departments like the Police and IT departments. The City appreciates the close partnership with East Jefferson Fire Rescue (EJFR) and the Jefferson County Public Utility District #1 (PUD) who were immediately involved and provided assistance. The City team also appreciates the patience of our community who rely on service from the range of important organizations that share tenancy at Mountain View. Special thanks also to Salish Coast Elementary School for accommodating the YMCA’s afterschool enrichment program.

As of Friday afternoon, power and water have been restored to the campus. The status of the facility’s boilers and heat is currently unknown, since these systems sustained water damage and the process for testing and/or replacing needs to be done in coordination with City insurance provider and systems vendor. More information may be available next week regarding parts, operations, and potential cost implications.

Until then, pool operations have been suspended indefinitely with no current estimated date of restoration. Other campus partners and their operations have largely been restored.

On Monday, June 3, the City Council will ratify a state of emergency that was declared by the City Manager to allow for immediate action and coordination with providers like electricians. An initial cost estimate for repairs has been provided as $100,000 in the City Council packet, but this will be refined next week once more information is available.

More information on the incident is included in the agenda bill which can be found here.

Information related to the Mountain View Pool is also available by the operator, the Olympic Peninsula YMCA, here.

Images of the flooding upon staff arrival to the facility.

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