Sewer Collapse Heightens Urgency for City Report

South Gate’s eighth sewer collapse in two years has heightened the urgency of a forthcoming report on how to fix the problem, city officials said Monday.

As city staff members scrambled to finish the long-awaited report that is due to the City Council next month, a tow truck began sinking into a section of Pennsylvania Street on June 14 just north of Century Boulevard. The section had been scheduled for repair.

As with many other parts of the city’s 60-year-old concrete sewer system, the underground pipe has corroded far worse than standard clay pipes. It was replaced at a cost of at least $15,000, and the street was reopened Saturday.

South Gate public works officials have been studying the problem for more than a year by running a video camera throughout the 60-mile system. Even if a majority of the pipes can be lined with plastic to prevent further corrosion, they say renovation could cost as much as $10 million.