PIERRE, S.D. (KCCR) – The Pierre City Commission has approved a resolution declaring an emergency that will allow crews to make a full replacement of a sewer main line under Griffin Park. City Utilities Director Brad Palmer says crew thought they had the issues with the Griffin Park pipe solved until a second sinkhole was noticed in the park.

Palmer says the city is working the engineering firm helping with updates to the waste water treatment plant.

With Burns McDonald taking over the repair from city crews it will allow workers to catch up on regularly scheduled projects.

Palmer says under a best case scenario of fast-tracking repairs replacing the sewer pipe in Griffin Park could take three to six weeks to make the repairs would put completion sometime in early October. The emergency declaration will allow the city to bypass the normal bidding process to allow the work to start as soon as possible.