A sewage pipe in the San Mateo County highlands was broken in a mudslide last month and could cost up to $3 million to repair, prompting the county Board of Supervisors to proclaim a local state of emergency Tuesday, county officials said.
The land behind 1560 Seneca Lane, near Interstate 280 and Crystal Springs Road, shifted during heavy rains in January, damaging the sewage line and causing a leak.
The damaged pipe was discovered on Jan. 23 after winter storms dropped 10 inches of rain in the area over three weeks. The county's Public Works Department is monitoring the area to prevent further damage as the hillside continues to move, but the area is only accessible by foot.
The county supervisors called the state of emergency Tuesday to be eligible for financial and technical assistance in making repairs. Fixing the damaged pipe could cost up to $3 million, according to early estimates.
The county's emergency proclamation is separate from a statewide proclamation made by Gov. Jerry Brown. That proclamation includes areas of San Mateo County, including the erosion of Scenic Drive in La Honda that left three homes uninhabitable.
"Our county's landscape is in so many ways a natural marvel but can also prove devastating to homeowners under extreme weather conditions," Board of Supervisors President Don Horsley said in a statement.
The county is continuing to assess storm damage and may call a separate emergency declaration at its meeting on Feb. 14.
