Malverne water main replacement update

Only 375 feet of pipe has been replaced in 2014 to date

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Since the New York American Water company started repairing and replacing water mains in Malverne in 2009, the company documents water main capital repairs on 17,227 feet worth of road – 3.3 miles worth — or an average of two-thirds of a mile every year.

This does not, unfortunately, make light of the fact that there wasn’t any water main replacement in the Village during 2012. Brian Bruce, Vice President of Operations at New York American Water, explains why in an emailed statement:

“In 2012, Nassau County installed a new sewer force main to connect the newly acquired Village of Lawrence and Village of Cedarhurst sewer systems. NYAW focused much of its main replacement activities along the new same route as the new sewer force main. We did this because a) we were required to relocate pipelines to make room for the sewer main, and b) we were able to take advantage of lower restoration costs due to the sewer main work. Although there was no pipeline work in Malverne in 2012, NYAW replaced 1,900 feet in 2010, 4,000 feet in 2011, and then 10,000 feet in 2013.”

The company fails to point out, however, that only 375 feet of pipe was replaced during 2014, according to documentation supplied by the water company.

Though the speed at which the repair work is moving is too slow for most residents, the company’s public relations representative told the Herald that only 2,000 feet worth of pipe — less than half a mile — would be replaced every year, and that there was a 10-year plan in place to repair the mains.

That is not good enough for those who open their kitchen faucets to wash dishes, and open their bathtub faucets to take a bath and see brown water.

Some of the complaints are coming from people who live in homes on Wolf Street, Crimson Avenue, Parkview Avenue and Sydney Avenue — all of which reported a heavy amount of brown water coming out of their faucets during the past week alone.

Some streets are currently on deck for some relief. There are three open permits to do water main replacement in Malverne. Those permits are for water main capital repair on Sheldon Place, Clinton Street, and Riveria Court. These permits were granted at different times during the end of September/beginning of October. The Herald was told by the water company in early October that repair work would start on Sheldon and Riveria next week. We are now being told by Bruce that work would start in early November.

The Herald was also told on September 26 that water main capital repairs were on a high priority list for Malverne Avenue and Nassau Avenue. No permits, however, have been filed yet with the Village, which the water company says it obtains right before work is started. The company says the only delay is the go-ahead from the Department of Health.

One of the many problems with the waiting period is that once the cold weather sets in, the company cannot do water main capital repairs until the spring.

A key reason why the work may be moving slow is the lack of complaints. Upon contacting James Denn, public information officer to the New York State Public Service Commission, Denn said, “Since 2013 the PSC has received three complaints from residents in Malverne regarding American Water. All three were billing inquires and all are resolved.