On Tuesday night, life on the north end of Mercer Island came to an abrupt halt for anything involving a lot of water. Residents were told to stop running dishwashers, doing laundry and taking showers after officials warned of a sewer blockage affecting properties from Luther Burbank Park to 97th Avenue SE.
The city’s advisory urged people to minimize flushing to avoid sewage backing up into homes. Officials stressed that the drinking water supply remains safe, shared a detailed map of the affected area and asked residents to report any visible backups right away.
URGENT: Sewer blockage affecting properties from Luther Burbank Park to 97th Ave SE. To prevent sewage backups, stop all dishwashers, laundry, showers immediately. Minimize flushing. Drinking water is safe. Map & details: https://t.co/mrfsw4tqck
— City of Mercer Island (@mercergov) Feb 24, 2026
What The Advisory Says
According to a post from the City of Mercer Island on X, households between Luther Burbank Park and 97th Avenue SE should immediately stop running dishwashers, doing laundry and taking showers. The message adds that residents should keep flushing to a minimum to reduce the risk of sewage backing into homes.
The post links to a map with more detail on the affected streets and reiterates that the municipal drinking water supply is not impacted by the sewer blockage.
Where The Blockage Is
The advisory covers the island’s north end, stretching from Luther Burbank Park at 2040 84th Avenue SE toward 97th Avenue SE. That corridor includes shoreline parks along Lake Washington as well as nearby residential properties.
The park’s address and waterfront amenities are listed on the City of Mercer Island website, while property listings on Realtor.com show multiple homes along 97th Avenue SE that fall inside the advisory zone.
Why This Is Not The First Time
Sewer trouble on Mercer Island is not exactly a novelty this month. Earlier in February, King County crews contained a sewer overflow on the north end, followed by public health advisories tied to that incident. The earlier response was covered by KIRO 7.
In parallel with these incidents, King County reports that crews are in the middle of replacing 1970s-era sewer pipe and upgrading pump stations across the north end in an effort to reduce future failures.
How To Respond And Who To Call
For now, residents in the affected zone are being asked to follow the advisory to the letter. That means no dishwashers, no laundry cycles, no showers and only minimal flushing until officials give the all clear.
If you see sewage backing into a building or need immediate assistance, the advisory directs you to contact Mercer Island Public Works at (206) 275-7608 during business hours, or the city’s customer service line at (206) 275-7600, using the contacts listed on the city’s website.
Officials say they will post updates on the city’s social channels and on the county’s project page as work progresses. Residents in the affected area are encouraged to keep an eye on those feeds until the advisory is lifted. For more context on the ongoing north-end sewer upgrades, see King County.
