New York American Water repairs water main in Gibson

New York American Water started to replace about 1,600 square feet of a water main along Catherine Street from DuBois Avenue to Forest Avenue on June 12. The utility company estimated that the project would take less than four weeks to complete, and that they are working with the village to plan the replacement at the same time as scheduled road repairs.

“The intent is to make it as unobtrusive as possible,” said Chris Buday, the vice president of operations for New York American Water.

The water main that is currently in use was installed in 1913, and has since filled up with sediment from the ground. This includes iron, which causes water to rust.

To replace the old water main, New York American Water employees or contractors saw up a portion of the road to reach the water main. They then bury the new pipe next to the original pipe, and put a temporary patch over the hole “so that people can drive down the road,” Buday said.

The original water main will still provide water to the residents until the company gets approval from the New York State Department of Health to connect the houses to the new water main.

But some brown water in the area may not be a result of an old water main, and a new water main may actually make the situation worse for some residents, according to Buday.

Houses built in the 1920s through the early 1970s may have galvanized pipes, which are made of steel. As these pipes age, they release more iron into the water. In that case, increased water pressure from a new pipe would release more iron into the water. “[Residents] could have a bigger problem with their pipes than they do with us,” said Buday.

A water heater may also make the situation worse for residents with older pipes. “Higher temperatures allow the iron to come out and deposit themselves in a hot water tank,” Buday said.

If a resident does have brown water, New York American Water suggests he or she flushes the water, or runs the water that comes from the spigot at the lowest level of the house for a few minutes and then run all of the other faucets, once a year.

Flushing seemed to work for Daniel Palmadesso, who reported to the company that he had brown water coming out of his faucet in the Gibson area for several weeks. When he called American Water to report the issue, a representative told him to flush the water, which he tried and reported that he no longer had a problem.

New York American Water also encourages residents to call the company at (877) 426-6999 with any problems.