Seattle Plays It Safe

To ensure the reliability of its aging water system in a major earthquake, the Seattle Water Department commissioned a comprehensive assessment of the system's seismic reliability to serve as a guide in upgrading its facilities and pipelines. This assessment was one of the largest of its kind ever done. A report in 1990 identified facilities in the system that would be inoperable after a maximum credible earthquake, made preliminary recommendations and set priorities for their seismic upgrade. Design work on the upgrades is one-third complete, and the department will award the first contracts for construction later this year. Total costs for the program are $17 million, of which $12 million is for construction. Implementation is taking place over a seven-year period through 1996 in order to spread out the financial impact and ensure an orderly progression. The article describes the seismic assessments and planned upgrades.