Cold temperatures cause two water main breaks in Amenia

This story has been updated.

AMENIA — Frigid temperatures caused two water main breaks in Amenia on Tuesday, Jan. 27 — one on Depot Hill Road and a second, more serious rupture beneath Lake Amenia Road — forcing crews to work through the day and into the night to restore service.

The Depot Hill Road leak was reported by resident David Intrieri at about 8:45 a.m. and was patched with a collar seal by midafternoon. Crews then shifted to the Lake Amenia Road break, where a section of pipe had to be removed and fully replaced.

C. Gallagher Contracting of Brewster, New York, provided excavation and pipe repair services for both breaks, with assistance from Pat Cusano of North Salem, New York.

Crew members with VRI Environmental Services and C. Gallagher Contracting assess the flow rate of the damaged pipe under Lake Amenia Road in Amenia on Tuesday, Jan. 27, at 8 p.m.Photo by Nathan Miller

The Depot Hill Road repair was completed around 2:30 p.m., but work at Lake Amenia Road was delayed when crews were unable to immediately locate a key valve. According to crew members, the first valve was not found until about 7:30 p.m.

Flow from the pipe had still not slowed by 8:30 p.m., even after one valve was shut. Representatives from VRI Environmental Services — Amenia’s contracted water system operator — located additional valves and fire hydrants to further reduce pressure shortly before 9 p.m.

A white plastic pipe replaces the damaged section of water main beneath Lake Amenia Road in Amenia on Tuesday, Jan. 27.Photo by Nathan Miller

The pipe replacement was completed by 9:30 p.m., and water service was restored to affected customers, crew members said.

Imprecisely marked valves on the town’s water system map contributed to the delays, according to crew members. Water Committee Chair Bill Flood said VRI only recently assumed management of Amenia’s water system and is still becoming familiar with the district’s layout. Large snowbanks also obscured valves and other infrastructure, Cusano said.

A collar seal covers a crack in a water main pipe near 54 Depot Hill Road in Amenia.Photo by Nathan Miller

VRI representatives said another water main leak occurred in Millerton but was minor and repaired on Wednesday, Jan. 28.

The breaks were attributed to extreme cold, which can cause ground movement and added stress on aging pipes — some 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.”