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Repairs For Water Pipe To Cost Mamaroneck, Larchmont $1.55M

MAMARONECK, N.Y. -- The water main that burst in January 2012 is going to cost $1.55 million to repair, $250,000 more than anticipated, the Mamaroneck Town Board said Wednesday night. The project was initially authorized at $1.3 million.

The Town of Mamaroneck Board approved an additional $250,000 to repair a pipe that burst last year.

The Town of Mamaroneck Board approved an additional $250,000 to repair a pipe that burst last year.

Photo Credit: Chaya Babu

"That is just mind-boggling to me that you could have one repair that costs that much, but that gives you an indication of the condition of some of the infrastructure that I think most of us take for granted," said Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson.

The pipe was a 30-inch main that carries water from Yonkers to Larchmont and had a serious break along Route 22 in Eastchester.

"This shaft 22 is a very very old pipe," Seligson said. "There's concern that it will need multiple repairs or that we'll need to do some proactive repairs to it or maintenance so that we don't have something like this again."

The portion of the additional $250,000 that Westchester Joint Water Works has asked the Town of Mamaroneck to pay is $46,500, or 18.6 percent, based on the town's share of water usage.

“We take our clean water for granted," Council member Phyllis Wittner said. "It’s a terrible expense, but the alternative would be not having clean water. Honestly, we do not need to be buying bottled water. It’s worth it to spend this kind of money to have clean drinking water.”

Additionally, there was a problem with the water mains that feed into the pumps at the reservoir at the end of shaft 22. There were two breaks in two pipes next to each other, and the repairs for these come to $650,000.

Seligson said some of this cost was because of the pipes' proximity to the reservoir and the lower reservoir dam. To protect the dam, it was necessary to have special construction management and cautionary measures.

The additional pipes are expected to cost the Town of Mamaroneck $120,900, again 18.6 percent.

The total that the town needs to pay for the additional cost of the repairs for the large water main and the breaks in the additional two mains is $167,400. This will be funded out of surplus funds in the water district.

“We live in an area that was developed quite long ago," Seligson said. "These systems are quite old.”

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