The hole in the ground that opened up at the junction of SE 16th and Oak on Tuesday was most likely caused by water leaked from the recently re-opened pool at nearby Buckman Elementary School, according to neighbors.The hole, which is 21 feet deep by 20 feet wide, swallowed a City maintenance truck on Tuesday afternoon, causing minor injuries, but City Officials are still unclear about the cause. According to Buckman neighborhood activist Mary Ann Schwab, neighbors had been asking the City for years where water from the school’s leaky pool was going, until it had to be closed in April 2005 after losing too much water. The school’s proximity to the sinkhole can be clearly seen in this image (there are signs to the “Buckman Pool” less than 20 feet from the hole):The pool re-opened in July this year, following $400,000 of renovation work, but Schwab says: “Anyone taking physics 101 knows leaking water has to go somewhere. When the pool was leaking last year, we just didn’t know where, but it seems we can now answer that question.”

City officials told the Oregonian this morning it’s unlikely such a large hole could have been caused by a leaky sewage main.