Syracuse, N.Y. — It could take two weeks for the Onondaga County Water Authority to repair a major break in a transmission main that has led to a water conservation alert for tens of thousands of people, officials said Sunday.
Jeffrey Brown, OCWA’s executive director, said it could take that long for crews to repair the 42-inch diameter pipe that broke this weekend near Northern Boulevard and East Taft Road in Cicero. OCWA originally estimated it could take a week.
“We are working hard to expedite the repair” to the 100-foot rupture in the pipe, he said. “Our hope is that with additional information we gather over the next few days, we can materially shorten that timeframe.”
The damaged pipe carries Lake Ontario water from a pump station in Clay to eastern Onondaga County and western Madison County. The break led the water authority to issue a conservation alert Saturday to about 27,000 customers in six towns.
A series of reservoirs filled by the damaged pipe are typically kept full and can hold 50 million gallons of water. They were only 25% full Sunday evening, and the water level was continuing to “slowly” decline, Brown said. Water can be drawn from the reservoirs until they are empty.
Brown said the water authority is working to keep two million gallons of water flowing each day to the reservoirs.
Water is being diverted from other parts of the OCWA system, and temporary pumps are sending water drawn from Otisco Lake, he said.
The water conservation alert urges customers to reduce non-essential water usage. It applies to the towns of DeWitt, Manlius and Pompey and villages of Fayetteville, Minoa and Manlius in Onondaga County. It also applies to the towns of Lenox, Lincoln and Sullivan and villages of Canastota and Chittenango in Madison County.
The water authority said conservation measures include:
- Turning off the water while brushing your teeth, shaving or washing dishes in the sink.
- Limiting the use of dishwashers and clothes washers whenever possible.
- Using water-saving settings on your washing machine.
- Taking shorter showers.
- Reusing water when possible.
The water authority has reached out to large customers in the conservation area, including Byrne Dairy, Lotte Biologics and Vestis.
Brown said it will be a complex repair for crews to fix the 100-foot section of broken pipe. The large presence of groundwater, shifting soils and the length of the repair make it difficult, he said.
It also takes time for the water authority to obtain the repair equipment and materials, Brown said. And the worksite first needs to be stabilized with steel sheeting to protect crews.
Water pressure to fire hydrants has not been affected, Brown said.
Jansen Casscles, the chief of the Manlius Fire Department, said fire hydrants remain operational and are available for emergencies. He has been in touch with the county emergency management department about the water troubles.
Casscles said the primary limitation at this time involves non-emergency water use, such as firefighter training or cleanup after an incident.
“If we have a fire and things are knocked down, we may consider alternate water sources for cleanup so we’re not depleting the supply,” he said. “But as of late Sunday morning, there’s no impact on public safety or our ability to fight fires.”
Water customers with critical concerns can call OCWA at 315-475-7601.
OCWA’s larger transmission mains (30” and larger) are all made from reinforced concrete pipe.Courtesy OCWA
