Mburgh Village Crew Battles Storms, Four Water Leaks, Sewer Blockage

MIDDLEBURGH - Four water service line breaks, three snowstorms, and a major sewer blockage teamed up for a "two and a half weeks of hell" for the Middleburgh Village Department of Public Works, Mayor Tim Knight said at Monday night's village board meeting.

The problems started in early January and continued through this week (though another storm was forecast for this week), Mayor Knight explained.

Village crews fixed four water service line breaks over 17 days: two near the intersection of Wells Avenue and Cliff Street, one on Clauverwie Road, and one on Baker Avenue. The breaks on Wells Avenue were only six feet apart and filled the streets all the way down to Chestnut Lane with ice during the cold weather.

The village was "close to an emergency situation with all the leaks combined," DPW chief Cole Keyser informed the board. The leaks have been repaired and the village water supply is back to a safe level. The water line problems make seeking grants even more necessary, Mayor Knight said. The Village Water Plant was processing several hundred thousand more gallons than normal during the most recent water line break on Baker Avenue, which has been fixed, the Mayor noted.

The second water leak on Wells was repaired on January 16 though the street remained closed from Cliff Street to Chestnut Lane after that.

In addition to repairing the leaks, the crews had to battle three smaller storms in two weeks and also fixed a blockage on Baker Avenue that was caused by solid grease in the lines. Officials said they have an idea where the grease came from.

"Hopefully we are on the other side of it 9the bad weather and water and sewer issues)," Mayor Knight said. Trustee Bob Tinker noted that there was little snow last winter. "We're making up from last year," he added. Two or three small storms, he said, are almost as bad as getting a foot of snow in one storm.

Despite the numerous problems, the crews were able to keep the streets and parking spaces clear.