‘Poop is flying out of my sink’: Frozen pipes cause sewer overflow in Seattle apartment

SEATTLE — Residents told KIRO 7 that their West Seattle apartment units were impacted by sewer overflow amid the sub-freezing temperatures due to frozen pipes.

A spokesperson for the Seattle Fire Department said crews had responded to more than 175 issues related to water pipes bursting due to sub-freezing temperatures since Friday.

RESIDENTS IMPACTED:

KIRO 7 spoke with Temple Jackson, who lives inside the Spruce Apartment, located on 39th Avenue Southwest in West Seattle, on Monday.

“I went into crisis mode,” she said.

Jackson said she had been working from home on Friday morning when she heard bubbling sounds coming from her sink.

“And I heard that sound again and it then just started erupting,” she said. “The poo was coming out. I was so distraught.”

Jackson said maintenance workers had tried to fix the issue, but they couldn’t due to the frozen pipes.

“They indicated the pipes were frozen on Friday and that the temperatures would have to warm up significantly in order for this to be fixed,” she said. “The house at that point, there were three men here, was filled with the smell of feces.”

Later on Sunday, Jackson said her sink had spewed out sewer water and overflowed onto her living room floor and kitchen.

“I just started screaming help, help, and it (sewer) was coming up everywhere. And then there was just poop and brown water, and it was just running over,” Jackson said.

A neighbor heard the commotion.

“I heard yelling,” Kendall Bullinger said. “And it was my neighbor frantically trying to get all of her things out of her apartment before it was ruined. It’s literally sewer water spewing out of her sink.”

And the sewer leaked into her neighbor’s unit, right below her.

“I was in the bathroom doing my dishes and heard water running,” said Alex Claus, a resident. “And I looked out here and see water pouring through the lights, all over my counter, all over my stuff.”

Claus said management had previously told him to not use his dishwasher and sink.

“The water lines were frozen and not to use the sink or dishwater, and I still haven’t heard from them since,” he described his conversation with management.

He said he’s now concerned about his health due to the sewer water that had spilled onto his kitchen and living room floor.

“I feel like there could be some long-term health concerns with mold growing,” he said. “It was appalling, and all my personal belongings are here -- I have a cat -- are contaminated.”

He told KIRO 7 that he believes management should have better prepared its pipes before and during the sub-freezing temperatures.

“The hallways should be much better insulated to avoid the pipes freezing,” he said. “The other building is definitely warmer in the hallways, but this building, building A, is a lot colder.”

Bullinger added that the hallway gets cold.

“It’s usually 40 to 50 degrees in the hallway so I think that probably contributed to the frozen pipe,” said Bullinger.

APARTMENT MANAGEMENT:

Jackson had called Thrive, the company that manages Spruce Apartment, and asked to temporarily stay in another unit while workers fix the issue.

“They (management) said they wouldn’t do it. They wouldn’t even give a reason,” she said. “And they said you guys are on your own, but what we can help you with is with the hotel cart.”

Jackson said she carried all of her belongings outside into the hallway.

“I don’t really have a place to go,” she said. “I don’t really have family or friends here.”

She said she had been lying on the hallway floor when her neighbor came by and offered her a place inside their apartment for her to rest.

“I have a dog,” she said. I’m 59 years old and I have some health conditions. I have no more strength. I haven’t eaten. I haven’t showered.”

Claus said he also reached out to management about the issue.

“The response was pretty much ‘contact your insurance,’” he said. “We can’t help you immediately. Just contact your insurance and go from there. I’ve been running around trying to contact maintenance and the building manager on trying to get answers on when things will be up and running and again, but nothing.”

Jackson and Claus said they both had filed claims with their renter’s insurance companies, but were told that they would not get support to find a temporary unit.

KIRO 7 reached out to Spruce Apartment, and we’re still waiting to hear back.

We also reached out to Thrive, the company that manages the building and are also waiting to hear back.

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