PEEKSKILL, N.Y. The water main break that left some residents without water Saturday night left city workers without sleep.
Deputy City Manager Brian Havranek told the Common Council at their Monday meeting that crews tried to repair the leak at the corner of Vail Avenue and Frost Lane while still pumping water up to the water tank. The leak was on the main feeder line to the high water service tank in the Forest View residential development.
At about 6:00 we realized that wasnt going to work so we had to go to plan B, Havranek said. Knowing that there would be a point in time where the water towers would no longer have water and the residents would no longer have service, we [had to] wait until about 11 p.m.
The tank services the higher elevation homes of Mortgage Hill, Chateau Reve, Forest View, Lincoln Terrace and Crompound Road. Residents of those areas were advised to use bottled water until the break was repaired and the water was turned back on. Fire company tanker trucks were on standby to compensate for the lack of working fire hydrants.
We did shut it down at 11, and they finally got to the actual break at close to 3:00 in the morning and ascertained that the repair was going to be more complicated than we had hoped, Havranek said. The break was in a narrow area that was difficult to work in, which made repairs difficult, Havranek said.
The city got the main repaired at around 9 a.m. Sunday morning. However, it then had to wait for the Westchester Department of Health to approve the work.
If youre out of service for more than four hours the health department gets involved and you cant put the water service back on until the health department gives the ok, Havranek said.
The health department allowed the city to chlorinate the water in the area of the break to eliminate any potential contamination and Monday the city notified residents that the water was safe to drink.
Havranek commended all the crews that worked through the night to repair the line.
In adverse conditions and extreme heat and humidity the city crews responded and worked around the clock continuously, Havranek said.
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