PITTSBURG, Kan. (AP) – Officials in a southeastern Kansas community think they know why someone threw a kitchen sink into a sewer line. Now, they’d like to know who did it.

The sink, a TV and a microwave oven were discovered in a Pittsburg sewer this week during a routine inspection.

Pittsburg utilities director John Bailey says the TV and microwave have been removed. But the sink is wedged so far into the line that the city may have to hire a private contractor for a major – and costly – excavation job.

The sink has to be removed, since it’s clogging the line and could cause a sewage backup.

Officials believe someone wanting to get rid of the items simply lifted a manhole cover and threw them in. City workers say they’ve had problems with people dumping garbage in sewers but this incident will be the most costly to clean up.

Taxpayers will also have to pay the $30,000 bill to install new lockable manhole covers in the area.