Syracuse council hears water department brief after surge in treated-water loss and intake shutdowns

President of the Syracuse City Council Helen Hudson convened a briefing on the city’s water supply after department officials reported an abrupt winter surge in treated-water use and multiple intake shutdowns that have reduced the city’s reserves.

The city’s water commissioner told the council that water use spiked on Jan. 19–20, 2025, by about 45 million gallons a day and that the department estimates a total treated-water loss since January of between 50 million and 200 million gallons. The commissioner said the city’s normal winter daily consumption is about 36 million gallons and that treated-water reserves had fallen to about 40 million gallons — roughly one day of supply by the department’s estimate.

The spike matters because Syracuse operates under a filtration waiver from the New York State Department of Health that the commissioner said could be revoked if the system records another violation; loss of the waiver would, the administration told the council, force the city to build a filtration plant that officials have previously estimated at around $200 million.

Council members pressed the water department on where the missing water went, reporting that the department had experienced an unusually high number of main breaks starting Jan. 19–20 and continuing through winter. The commissioner described a “perfect storm” of events on March 16 — a large main break, the shutdown of Intake 2 because of turbidity at the lake, and pump-station power outages — that together reduced supply and required emergency responses including pump trucks and temporary contractor support. "We have to shut an intake down," the commissioner said, explaining that turbidity events force intake closures that reduce daily supply by about 8 million gallons.

Councilors and the commissioner reviewed detection and repair efforts the city has used: hiring a leak‑detection contractor (which located several small leaks), field crews checking boundary gates and blow‑off valves, drone inspections planned with a private vendor to survey conduit right‑of‑way segments, night shift stand‑by crews for emergency response, and collaboration with Syracuse Fire Department, Syracuse Sewer Department, and outside partners including Aqua and county authorities. The commissioner said Gardner Pumps has been contracted to repair a failing Comstock pump that feeds the Morningside and Stewart zones; the department hopes to have all Morningside tanks refilled within 30 days.

Councilors asked why contractors and Department of Transportation crews appear to open hydrants or valves and whether the city meters hydro permits; staff said the city currently charges a fixed permit fee ($1,900 was cited) for unlimited use in some cases and is reviewing whether to meter that usage. Councilors also asked about contractors (for example, JJ Lane) using hydrants and whether costs should be credited or passed to contractors; the department said it is reviewing contracts and permitting practices.

On capital projects, the commissioner and the administration told the council they have paused moving forward on an intake‑extension construction project while they collect additional data. The administration said $1.2 million had been allocated to GHD for intake design work and that council authorization for a $16 million bond exists but the bond had not been issued; the commissioner said the design data to date do not clearly show the intake extension would solve the turbidity problem and that spending the full bond without better evidence would be imprudent.

Council members suggested further steps that were discussed on the record: bringing in additional outside engineers (EDR was named) and leak experts, contacting the New York State Environmental Facilities Corporation for potential assistance, adjusting communications so residents receive clearer, earlier notices when pressure drops or main breaks occur, and producing a regular (quarterly or incident‑based) report on volume lost and repair costs for council review. The administration said it would pursue those items and that the water department is developing a secondary strategy alongside its intake‑design engineers.

Officials provided several numerical details to the council: typical winter daily consumption about 36 million gallons; a one‑time reported spike of roughly 45 million gallons per day on Jan. 19–20; an estimated cumulative treated‑water loss since January of 50–200 million gallons (department estimate); reserves reported at roughly 40 million gallons at one point; the Woodland open‑air reservoir holds about 21 million gallons; the city previously authorized $16 million in bonding for an intake extension and dedicated $1.2 million to GHD for design; intake shutdowns were estimated to reduce supply by about 8 million gallons per day; the department reported 57 breaks by Jan. 31 and continued multiple breaks per day during the winter; the department said it is down roughly 10 water‑maintenance positions and is recruiting.

The meeting closed with councilors urging clearer, proactive public communications so residents know when to expect pressure issues and what the department is doing, and with the administration saying it will provide more regular data to the council and continue to pursue outside technical help. "We're gonna get through this," the commissioner said, adding that crews and outside partners are working around the clock on repairs and monitoring.

Ending: Councilors asked staff to return with more detailed cost and repair reports, and the administration said it would brief the council further as new data and contractor reports become available.