OCWA Fights Summer Water Leaks in Transmission Line Serving 6 CNY Towns

The Onondaga County Water Authority (OCWA) is actively addressing significant water leaks in a transmission line that services six towns in Central New York. These recent issues began several months ago and have escalated, necessitating urgent repairs and water conservation measures.

Overview of the Leak Issues

In the summer of the previous year, OCWA initially repaired a leak in a blowoff valve on the eastern transmission line. This line is crucial as it supplies water to 27,000 customers in eastern Onondaga and western Madison counties. However, in late November, OCWA identified a severe leakage problem in the main transmission line, roughly 30 feet downstream from the repaired valve.

Timeline of Events

• June 4: OCWA attempted to repair a minor leak in the blowoff valve.
• July 2023: A court order resolved access issues with the tenant blocking repairs.
• August 2023: The valve repair was completed due to drier soil conditions.
• November 21: The initial leak in the main transmission line was detected.
• December 6: Crews repaired this primary leak through welding.
• December 20: OCWA shut down the water line following a drop in system pressures.

Challenges and Solutions

As OCWA worked to manage these leaks, the situation proved to be more complex than anticipated. The agency had to implement emergency measures to supply water to the affected towns. They filled a 50-million-gallon reservoir, comprised of two storage tanks located in Manlius, to help during repairs.

Once operations resumed on the transmission line, additional leaks were discovered, forcing OCWA crews to cast concrete rings around the cracks as a temporary fix. Unfortunately, these measures did not hold, leading to further complications.

Water Conservation Measures

OCWA urged residents and businesses to reduce water consumption as the agencies worked on the line. Daily water use was successfully reduced from a typical 5 million gallons per day to about 3.5 million gallons, matching the amount of water that could be sourced through emergency pumps.

Reason for the Leaks

According to OCWA’s Executive Director, Jeff Brown, the recent issues may stem from longstanding soil and groundwater challenges rather than a direct connection to the earlier valve leak. The director of operations, Geoffrey Miller, had previously expressed concerns about the potential catastrophic effects of the earlier leak on the main transmission line.

Current Status

As of now, daily water use has stabilized, and the reservoir is maintaining around 20% capacity. OCWA continues to monitor the situation closely and is committed to repairing the transmission line as effectively and swiftly as possible.