What does it take to get a sinkhole fixed in Philadelphia?

Here’s the way things should go when you spot a sinkhole on your street: Call the city, the city secures it, the city determines the cause and whose responsibility it is to fix it.

But why does it seem like the response time is so slow? Our Help Desk partners at the Daily News looked into it, since it appears the repair process gets quite speedy once the press gets involved in a complaint already filed by a resident.

Is it going to take some time to fix your sinkhole? Yes. The city must determine the cause, which could be anything from a Water Department issue to a homeowner problem.

But next time you call 311 about a sinkhole, do know that the city is supposed to cover the hole before repairs are made.