Lake county groundwater slide condition, cracked sewer pipes first clue

In Pacifica, generally speaking,  the cracked sewer pipes may claim our homes before the groundwater does.  Then again....

OMG....

San Francisco Chronicle/Peter Fimrite, 5/16/13.  "Lake County homes swallowed by slide."

"....  Fractures began to appear in early March on the downhill side of the subdivision, which was built in the mid-1980s on as much as 12 feet of fill. The situation got worse daily, as the hillside on the southeastern portion of the development sank. The ground eventually dropped between 12 and 14 feet, crushing two homes - including the Spiveys' ranch-style house - and leaving two others hanging over the edge of a precipice.
....  The geological survey report, released Wednesday, said the southeastern portion of the subdivision was built on a topographic bench that indicated previous erosion and may actually have been an old landslide. Pooled water seen on the site and the saturated condition of the soil "are likely contributing to the landslide movement," said the report. 

.... Cracked sewer pipe. Kevin Ingram, the senior administrative analyst for the county, said the first indicator that something was going on was in December when utility workers detected a crack in a sewer pipe. It was repaired, and when they checked it again around March 7 or 8, there was another leak, which was also repaired.   The county checked the water system for leaks on March 25, but Ingram said no problems were found. Another inspection on May 9 found two leaks, which were fixed the next day. Ingram said neither leak was large enough to cause a slide. He suggested groundwater could be the culprit."  Read article,  includes 7 photographs of the property.

Posted by Kathy Meeh