The Cold Spring Water Department found two leaks in the distribution system last week, both located on private service lines. “The two combined to a total of approximately 55,000 gallons of water per day,” said Greg Phillips, superintendent of the department. “Lost water is even more critical now that we are buying raw water from the NYC Aqueduct system,” he added. The average daily flow for the first 15 days of September was 308,000 gallons. After the leaks were stopped, the flow was reduced to an average of 253,000 gallons.
On Monday, Sept. 20, the department began a leak detection survey of the entire distribution system. Conservation Technologies, a Massachusetts-based firm, is working with the department to locate and prioritize leaks in the 6+ miles of piping.
Another issue facing the water department is water discoloration at some residents’ taps. Color ranges from barely noticeable to yellow according to most complaints. “It has been a challenging summer,” noted Phillips, “months of high heat, coupled with drought conditions have affected raw water quality, which can be a contributing factor — that and the ever-problematic, corroded, cast-iron piping it travels through.” He concluded by stating that independent lab analysis continues to show that there have been no bacteriological concerns at this time.
