The purpose of this website is to present information to the Mt. Vernon Community in Baltimore MD about the recent sinkholes.
My name is KT, I am a resident of Mt. Vernon and noted that there was a lot of confusion surrounding the sinkholes, the risks that they pose, and what to expect when they arise, or anti-arise if you will.
I hope that this site is informative, and motivates citizens of Baltimore to ask questions about how they can ensure infrastructure is a top priority for the city.
The big three Mt Vernon sinkholes of the past year are the result of the failing sewer system. The majority of Baltimore's water infrastructure was constructed after the fire of 1904, meaning that it is over 100 years old.
The large sewer tunnels beneath Mt Vernon, some big enough for a car to drive through, were packed with sediment, sludge and other detritus.
When pressure from stormwater, or pressurized cleaning of pipes upstream from the tunnels flows on top of settled sediments that have built up within the pipe a small section near the top of the tunnel can collapse.
Sometimes these tunnels can leak without anyone knowing.
Generally we find out the problem once there is an obvious result: A SINKHOLE
So the sinkholes and the sewers are all part of the same problem.
Right: The CIPP Apparatus over the Cathedral St Sinkhole
Photo by KT
Why, Why, Why, do We Have Sinkholes in Mt. Vernon?
