Onondaga County officials are reminding people that a mandatory water conservation order is in place for 27,000 thousand CNY residents. They could be on the brink of running out of water if they don’t take conservation measures. Customers who live in the Towns of DeWitt, Manlius, Pompey, Sullivan, Lenox, and Lincoln are affected.
The Onondaga County Water Authority is working round the clock to restore a water main that supplies residents in the northeastern part of the county and northwestern Madison County.
OCWA Executive Director Jeff Brown said unstable soil oversaturated with rain and snow caused the pipe to shift and rupture.
“So, what we have to do is drive sheets of metal to encase the entire length of the leak both on the sides and at the ends," he said. "Once that is done, then we have a special crew from out of state to dewater the area.”
Brown said a more than 120-foot stretch of the water main will be drained and repaired. The pipe is 60-years-old and rests 10 feet below ground.
Brown said businesses are also being asked to use only water for essential uses, and car washes are ordered to close.
“We are partnering with the City of Oneida where they are pumping water into Canastota and that water is now actually being pumped into Chittenango," Brown said. "We’re also bringing down water that we’d typically would flow through Sylvan Beach through the north of Oneida Lake and we are pumping it into the affected areas.”
Brown, himself, lives in one of the affected areas. He said he has taken laundry to a relative's house. Businesses have come forward with bottled water that could be distributed if people's faucets run dry. Brown shared the story of a medical facility in DeWitt that brought in porta-potties and is having all employees use them instead of flushing any toilets in their business.
Brown emphasizes conservation is key. He suggests washing laundry in a non-impacted area to conserve water, taking five-minute showers, and using bottled water for cooking. Officials said they’re getting supplies from other municipalities and businesses if needed for emergencies.
