Tacoma Approved Budget Hike for Sewer Project
The city authorized a $1.5 million payment for design costs on a major drainage overhaul near the Tacoma Dome.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Home Renovation
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Tacoma City Council approved a $1,532,165 increase to design costs for a $90 million drainage project aimed at fixing frequent flooding at Pacific Avenue and South 26th Street. The project, which is currently 30% complete, focuses on rehabilitating a pipe originally installed in 1923.
Why it matters
The increased funding addresses complications in surveying a deep, debris-filled pipe that has hindered progress. The city is working to mitigate chronic flooding in a corridor where past infrastructure projects, including the 2012 lowering of the road by 15 feet, exacerbated drainage issues.
The project is currently 30% finished, with engineers targeting a 5-foot diameter pipe section buried 30 to 50 feet underground. Sound Transit provided $10 million to the city for stormwater management efforts connected to the area.
The players
Tacoma City Council
This is the legislative body responsible for governing the city and managing municipal infrastructure budgets.
Sound Transit
This public agency operates regional transit services, including commuter rail and light rail, throughout the Puget Sound area.
The details
Engineers are utilizing lidar scanning and drone mapping to inspect the interior of the 1923 pipe, which was previously blocked by concrete, rocks, and calcium deposits. These physical obstacles and the pipe's location beneath private property and old ravines have slowed the survey process significantly.
Timeline
1923: The pipe section targeted for rehabilitation was built.
2012: The road level was lowered by 15 feet during a Sounder rail project.
September 2026: The city and Sound Transit finalized a drainage deal.
December 2027: Construction on the project is expected to reach completion.
Roadmap
This project reflects the broader challenge of maintaining aging municipal infrastructure built nearly a century ago. It demonstrates how modern public works must adapt to layers of urban development that occurred long after the initial utilities were laid.
Residents and drivers near Pacific Avenue and South 26th Street may encounter ongoing work zones as the city completes the drainage overhaul. These improvements are intended to resolve the intersection's history of frequent flooding during heavy rain events.
The takeaway
The project underscores the hidden costs of maintaining legacy utility systems located deep beneath modern urban infrastructure. Residents should anticipate continued construction activity through 2027 as the city stabilizes the aging pipe network.
Further reading
For more information on similar municipal infrastructure efforts, visit the Home Renovation section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Tacoma News Tribune.
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