Canal break in Kennewick caused by rodent, neighbors waiting to clean up damage

The Kennewick Irrigation District is evaluating the damage after a break in an irrigation canal impacted homes and other property.

Jason McShane with the irrigation district says a resident called the KID when he first spotted a leak. He said a burrowing rodent caused this break and other similar breaks in the past.

Several homes in Kennewick were evacuated Monday evening when the canal burst. Water gushed from the canal near West 12th Avenue and South Columbia Center Boulevard flooding homes and cars in the area.

But residents in the West Kennewick neighborhood could not even start cleaning up on Tuesday afternoon. Lynn lives two doors down from where the break happened.

"It managed to completely destroyed their drain field, but it didn't do a lot of damage inside I guess, because they opened the garage doors so it was flowing out," says Lynn.

At least two of the homes have lower levels that flooded. The houses are all on septic tanks, so a thick layer of sludge is being left behind as the city of Kennewick works to pump out the water filling the street. The Kennewick Health Department is monitoring the clean-up.

KID will be working with their insurance and homeowners with damaged property.

The Kennewick Irrigation District says crews are working to repair the canal and restore water delivery as quickly as possible. No estimated date of completion is available at this time. Officials say those served off of the Highland Feeder will be impacted.