Onondaga County water officials are facing more obstacles as the try to fix a water-supply pipe that serves parts of Northern and Eastern Onondaga County.
Progress is being made. Onondaga County Water Authority Executive Director Jeff Brown said the pile driver brought in from out of state arrived and is working to make the trench around the failed pipeline ready for the repair. The equipment drives 40-foot long steel barriers into the ground to create a trench around the failed section of pipe.
The trench is full of water from groundwater that has to be removed to replace the pipe. Recent rain, snowmelt and coming severe weather make that task more complicated. High winds expected Tuesday and Wednesday could also require the pile driver to be lowered, inhibiting progress.
Both Brown and County Executive Ryan McMahon praised residents in the affected areas for conserving water over the past week, since the pipeline failure. Brown said such efforts have stabilized the system, keeping water pressure up for many of the households.
Conservation remains critical for the system to continue to provide water. Brown asked residents for patience and suggested he could make a better estimate for completing the water supply repair by Friday.
