Murrysville authorizes emergency work on collapsing storm sewer at Heritage Estates

Murrysville officials will contract emergency repairs to a storm sewer line that is collapsing in the Villas at Heritage Estates, the second time they encountered the issue in the housing plan off Sardis Road.

“The work is beyond the ability of public works,” Chief Administrator Jim Morrison said. “The engineer has reviewed it and suggested it is an emergency situation.”

Public works head Bill Paiano said, on the surface, the collapse looks like a minor indentation in the ground, but Morrison said preliminary estimates to fix it could range between $50,000 and $100,000.

The Villas at Heritage Estates was developed over multiple phases beginning 2000, Morrison said.

“When we televised the line to try and determine the cause of the collapse, it was that the pipe used was not what should have been installed, especially not at the depth it was installed.”

Over the years, Morrison said, the weight of fill on top of the pipe, combined with a lack of proper stone backfill underneath, caused it to begin collapsing.

“If the collapse continues up the line, it will affect a resident’s home,” he said.

Murrysville council voted unanimously to authorize the emergency work.