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Watervliet City officials describe aging valves, expect short-term cloudy water while repairs are designed
Summary
City staff told the council that aging gate and butterfly valves at the water-filtration plant failed, allowing scale and sediment to increase turbidity; an engineer is preparing a design for repairs and temporary interconnections with Menands/Troy will maintain pressure while crews work.
City staff told the Watervliet City Council that aging valves at the municipal water-filtration plant have contributed to a recent rise in turbidity (cloudiness) in the distribution system, and that short-term interruptions or cloudy water may reoccur as crews prepare a repair design.
Unidentified Speaker 2, who led the briefing, said personnel from consulting firm Weston & Sampson inspected the plant and identified multiple valve types dating back to the 1920s, including butterfly valves and deeper gate valves. He said one valve had cracked and that a pressure shift on the Southside/Route 155 feed allowed built-up interior scaling to dislodge and enter the system, increasing turbidity but not changing the chemical composition of the water.
"We have a company coming into Connecticut to look at it," Unidentified Speaker 2 said, describing plans to splice and replace aging valve components and to bring new infrastructure into the system where needed. He added the city is coordinating with an engineer and expects a design before the new infrastructure work begins, with a short-term possibility of additional cloudiness while repairs are staged.
Officials said they will use a connection through Menands/Troy as an interim method to keep pressure steady in affected areas while work proceeds. Unidentified Speaker 2 said the Department is alerting Albany County and that staff distributed bottled water supplied by contractor deliveries during the response.
Councilors and staff also discussed public-notification shortcomings: speakers said the Nixle alert system did not make telephone calls to all households during the event and that social media and Facebook posts were used to notify residents. Unidentified Speaker 1 urged earlier telephone advisories in future incidents.
The city did not present a final cost estimate for infrastructure replacement at the meeting; Unidentified Speaker 2 said the engineer will provide design information and cost projections, and staff will return to council with specifics. The council was told temporary measures will keep water service pressurized while longer-term replacements are planned.
Next steps: staff will bring the repair design and cost estimate to a future council meeting for formal consideration and possible funding authorization.
