Amenia Planning Board member suggests a moratorium
Amenia Town Hall on Route 22.
Photo by Nathan Miller
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A water main under Indian Lake Road in Amenia sprays water after construction workers with C. Gallagher Contracting, of Brewster, New York, attempted to cut the pipe to replace a damaged section on Tuesday, Jan. 27. Crew members said high pressure in a pipe encumbers cutting, fills the hole with too much water, and could cause workers to be too wet for the extremely low temperatures.
Photo by Nathan Miller
The pipe was fixed by 9:30 p.m. and water service was restored to affected customers, crew members said.
Flow from the pipe had not slowed at 8:30 p.m. even after shutting one of the valves, crew members on site said. Representatives of VRI Environmental Services — Amenia's contracted water system operator — located other valves and fire hydrants to further reduce pressure in the pipe shortly before 9 p.m.
Crew members with VRI Environmental Services and C. Gallagher Contracting assess the flow rate of the damaged pipe under Indian Lake Road in Amenia on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m.Photo by Nathan Miller
Pat Cusano, of North Salem, New York, assisted the Gallagher crew on Tuesday for two water main breaks in Amenia. The first sprung up on Depot Hill Road and was reported by resident David Intrieri at 8:45 a.m.
The Depot Hill Road leak was patched with a collar seal that wrapped around the leak. The crew put the collar in place around 2:30 p.m.
Cusano said the crew went immediately to the Indian Lake Road leak after that, but the first valve couldn't be located until roughly 7:30 p.m.
A white plastic pipe replaces the damaged section of water main beneath Indian Lake Road in Amenia on Tuesday, Jan. 27.Photo by Nathan Miller
Imprecisely marked valves on a map of the town's water system caused significant delays in repairing the Indian Lake Road leak, crew members said. Water Committee Chair Bill Flood said VRI only recently took over managing Amenia's water system, and company representatives were still becoming familiar with the district's layout.
Cusano said locating the valves was further complicated by large snowbanks hiding the infrastructure.
VRI representatives said there is a break in Millerton as well, but the leak did not require immediate attention. Crews are expected to patch that leak tomorrow.
A collar seal covers a crack in a water main pipe near 54 Depot Hill Road in Amenia.Photo by Nathan Miller
The breaks were caused by the extreme cold weather, crew members said. Cold temperatures can cause dirt to shift and contract, putting stress on pipes that are up to 30 years old in Amenia.
"There'll be more tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day," Cusano said. "It's just that time of year."
