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Mostly Cloudy Water main bursts, tree crushes van in Baldwin
The corner of Winona Road and Anderson Street in Baldwin looked like a scene out of a Hollywood blockbuster last Friday morning after a water main burst, causing a tree to fall onto a parked van.
According to New York American Water officials who were on the scene, the 20-inch main most likely burst because frost in the ground began to thaw after a recent rainstorm, causing the pipe to shift. Brian Bruce, vice president of operations for NYAW, said the burst pipe brought down the tree as well, likening it to “a perfect storm.”
“It could’ve started out as a small leak and started uprooting the tree,” Bruce explained. “Once the tree goes, it will just crush the pipe.”
The incident occurred around 3 a.m. on Friday, Bruce said. NYAW began strategically closing off valves in the morning to reduce the number of customers without water. At around 10:30 a.m., roughly 200 customers were still without water, but that number was reduced to about 20 once a valve on Anderson Street was closed off shortly after 11 a.m. Others in the area were experiencing low water pressure or water discoloration, said David Chauvin, an NYAW spokesman, but he added that there were no health concerns for residents.
Bruce said that the pipe had been installed in the 1950s, which is relatively recent when compared with the 100-year-old pipes in the NYAW system.
Baldwin schools were closed Friday due to the burst pipe. According to Cristina Schmohl, the district’s public information officer, custodians in each of the buildings reported low water pressure early Friday morning to Facilities Director Russ Randazzo. “There were no flushable toilets,” Schmohl said, “and in some buildings no heat because the low pressure turned them off.”
Bruce said he spoke to Superintendent Dr. Shari Camhi early Friday morning, but couldn’t give her a concrete estimate on when the water pressure would be restored. Because of the unsure timetable, the district was forced to close for the day. According to state law, a school district must close if there are water pressure issues in its buildings.
NYAW crews had to call in a tree service company to remove the fallen tree, because its branches landed on power lines. The company was on the scene shortly before 11 a.m., and repair work was completed later in the day.
Sportsweek activities
Sportsweek activities have been rescheduled due to inclement weather and the burst water main: Banquet is tomorrow night, Saturday, March 7, at 7 p.m.; Tea Dance is next Friday, March 13, at 7 p.m.; and Sportsnite is moved to next Saturday, March 14, at 7:50 p.m. Go Blue and Gold Teams!
