Water main break now repaired

WATKINS GLEN (8/17/16)--Village crews have repaired a water main break that made many Watkins Glen homes and businesses need to boil water last week. The village received approval from the Department of Health (DOH) to lift a boil water advisory Thursday, Aug. 11 that was in effect since the Tuesday, Aug. 9 break. The order was lifted around 11 a.m. Thursday, after leaving those who lived east of and along Monroe Street under the advisory order. The main break occurred near the corner of Second Street and South Madison Avenue around 5 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Water Department Head Harley Connelly said the break was caused due to a combination of age and ground tension due to drought conditions.
"With the ground drying right up tight, it will move it a little bit," Connelly said. "This particular pipe was cast iron, and cast iron is brittle."
However, Connelly added the boil water order came about due to the amount of people who were affected, not necessarily due to contamination of the water lines for some.
"How this one kicked in is if 10 percent or more of the population is off, then it is an automatic boil water," Connelly said. "It didn't mean there was bacteria in it, but there was a better chance of having bacteria. So the Department of Health recommends that is what we have to do, you have to boil water."
The advisory claimed the water was still good for cleaning, washing and bathing, but needed to be boiled for five minutes for drinking and cooking use. Connelly said all pipes are susceptible to this type of break, adding the village of Montour Falls had similar breaks Wednesdayand Thursday.
"The life expectancy of a pipe is 20 years," Connelly said. "There is no way you can change your pipes every 20 years. You couldn't afford it."
In response to the order, some area stores responded by making more fresh water available to customers. Wal-Mart had gallon jugs of water available near the store's entrance, while Tops had a tractor trailer of clean water delivered upon hearing the news.
"Upon hearing about the situation, our team mobilized and had a tractor truck sent down first thing," said Tops Director of Community and Public Relations Andrew Brocato. "[...]We just went through this two weeks ago in Western New York."