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New Lebanon officials plan townwide flushing after EPA findings and iron issues in water lines
Summary
Village service officials reported recent high-iron service-line incidents and EPA findings that prompted recommendations — including a valve-exercise program, updated sampling plan and containment for chemicals — and said the village will perform a townwide system flushing this spring or summer that may take up to a week.
Village service officials told the council on Feb. 17 that New Lebanon’s water distribution system has experienced episodes of elevated iron in service lines and that recent EPA inspections generated violations and recommendations.
Dennis, the service-department representative, said routine testing showed the system had not consistently reached "breakpoint chlorination," a treatment target; addressing that, combined with a lack of preventive maintenance, may have contributed to iron dislodging from mains and causing the discoloration in customer lines. "We are going to flush the entire system out," Dennis said, calling the measure extensive and warning it could make residents temporarily unhappy while improving long-term water quality.
Staff reported several EPA-identified issues and recommendations: implementation of a valve-exercise program; an updated sample-site monitoring plan and emergency contingency plan; spill containment under a potassium permanganate day tank; and installation of chlorine-detection equipment in chemical rooms. Dennis also recommended a preventative maintenance program, an asset-management plan and occasional drawdown testing on wells to better identify well performance.
Officials said a full-system flush could take up to a week and may require temporary service inconveniences. The village plans to coordinate flushing and provide advance notice; staff also said they had already flushed certain hydrants and service lines where high iron was reported, temporarily disrupting local businesses such as a McDonald's that had to close briefly during one incident.
Council and staff discussed equipment and funding needs, including pumps for pits adjacent to wells, bug and bird screens for towers, and updated monitoring equipment; staff said these items and the maintenance program will require time and investment to implement.
Dennis said the village will seek grant funding and is working with engineers to determine whether to repair, replace, or consider alternative supply connections as part of a broader infrastructure strategy. Officials encouraged residents to run cold water until it clears during localized flushing and to call the department to report persistent discoloration.
Next steps: staff will prepare a flushing schedule, request necessary purchases for safety and monitoring (chlorine sensors, containment), and continue working with engineering partners on grant eligibility to fund capital upgrades.
