Watkins tests sewer system integrity

    WATKINS GLEN––The Watkins Glen village board discussed the smoke testing that is occurring throughout the village, the condition of the Padua water tank and the possibility that a water main on Steuben Street may need to be replaced at their regular meeting held on Monday, Oct. 15.
    Trustee Scott Gibson took a moment to explain the ongoing smoke testing that is being done to assess the integrity of the village’s sanitary sewer system.  Gibson said the test is a low pressure indicator that is placed in the sewer lines and will find its way through cracks in the system.  “We don’t want to see smoke coming through storm pipes,” he said.  Where cracks in the system exist, storm water or other infiltration can enter the waste water system and impact the bacteria levels in the treatment plant.  He added that the smoke is harmless but it does have a smell. Superintendent of utilities Mark Specchio said that the homeowner is responsible for repairs from the house to the sewer main.  
    Mayor Mark Swinnerton said that the purpose of the testing is to comply with the consent order the village has entered into with the Department of Environmental Conservation regarding issues associated with the waste water treatment system.  “There is going to be a lot of cost on the resident side and on our side to comply with the [inflow and infiltration] plan,” said Swinnerton, “but it is long overdue.”  Specchio said they had already located a potential problem on Monroe Street but they had not yet completed the smoke testing in that area.
    As for the village’s fresh water tank, an initial report from engineering firm Barton & Lajoudice did not recommend further destructive testing of the tank’s concrete base.  Water department Supervisor Harley Connelley urged the board to go and visually inspect the tank themselves before making a decision against further testing.
    Connelley also reported to the board that the water main running up Steuben Street from Fourth Street is in need of significant repair or replacement.  He said that the contractor currently working on Steuben Street had agreed to hold off on covering the main with a new cement sidewalk so that the village could make the necessary repairs.  For the winter they will place blacktop instead of concrete so that the work may be done next year, said Connelley.  Because the cost of the project is projected to be over $100,000, Trustee Tony Fraboni suggested that the board hold off on a final decision until budget time so that they can properly assess the village’s financial situation.