United Water replaces Sloatsburg pipe
Pipe being replaced for better flow, issue of concern for village, firefighters.
United Water replaces Sloatsburg pipe Pipe being replaced for better flow, issue of concern for village, firefighters. Check out this story on lohud.com: http://lohud.us/1xC409w
Laura Incalcaterra, lincalca@lohud.com Published 5:27 p.m. ET Oct. 10, 2014 | Updated 11:37 p.m. ET Oct. 11, 2014
Tom Buckley, firefighter and Sloatsburg trustee.(Photo: Picasa)
United Water New York is replacing a water main that will allow for better flow, addressing a longstanding problem for Sloatsburg village and its volunteer firefighters.
The project should be completed in about two months, the company said, and the use of "trenchless technology" will avoid the need to rip open large sections roadway and create major detours.
United Water is replacing 1.25 miles of pipe along a stretch of Route 17 running between Post Road in Sloatsburg and the Tuxedo Manor Apartments in Tuxedo.
Sections of the southbound right lane will be closed during construction hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The company will replace a pipe that is 8 inches in diameter with a newer 8-inch pipe, said Richard Henning, United Water's vice president for corporate affairs. The pipe provides water for drinking and hydrants.
Sloatsburg Village Trustee Tom Buckley, who is a volunteer firefighter, said the company told the village about the project and was asked to install a 10-inch wide pipe instead.
He said the 8-inch pipe will only allow for a flow of 700 to 750 gallons of water per minute for firefighting purposes. But it is recommended that 750 gallons be available to fight a fire at a single-family home, Buckley said.
He said the Insurance Services Office Inc., a company that focuses on community fire protection efforts, among other risk management services, recommends the 750 gallons of water per minute flow.
The issue of volume and water pressure in general has been an ongoing concern of firefighters and came to a head in 2006 when the Rockland County Fire Chiefs' Association asked the state to require United Water to make improvements.
Since that time, United Water has replaced outdated lines to increase pressure, launched a hydrant maintenance program and added emergency power to keep pump sites working during long power outages.
Henning said the water main is the right size line given the number of customers in Sloatsburg. He also said sedimentation has taken its toll over time and slowed the flow. The new pipe will be plastic and won't allow sedimentation to occur.
United Water is using the existing pipe's route and slipping the plastic pipe into place. A machine bursts the existing pipe open to allow room for the new line, Henning said. The old pipe remains in the ground.
The company has temporary fire hydrants and an above-ground water system in place until the project is completed, he said.
Buckley is waiting to see if the new line will truly improve flow for the benefit of public safety.
Twitter: @LauraInc15
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