This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Aging Water and Sewage Pipes Likely to be a Significant - and Costly - Issue for our Community

“The pipes affect our lives in every way possible”.  With those words, Mamaroneck Town Supervisor Nancy Seligson commenced the Local Summit’s June 17 breakfast program, “Our Pipes: What Lurks Below”, an examination of the problems the Sound Shore communities are facing as they seek to maintain and repair their aging underground infrastructure.  The consensus of all the speakers was that the problems are significant and will be expensive to repair.

What pipes are below the surface?  The underground pipe system consists of three distinct lines: the gas supply, the water supply, and sanitation and sewage. There is a separate system for storm water.  The gas supply lines are operated and maintained by Con Ed.  Westchester Joint Water Works (WJWW) operates the water supply system.  The sanitation pipes are operated and maintained by the towns and villages.  Arterial sewage mains and storm drains are the responsibility of the county.  Financial support for the systems is provided through taxes, surcharges and user fees.

Town Administrator Steve Altieri addressed his remarks to the water supply system, which, he says, requires as much care as the sewage and storm drain systems.  According to Altieri, our system of pipes is delicate and much of it is very old, with some pipes dating back 100 years.  Many parts are in need of repair or replacement, and that work is expensive.  Lamenting public apathy over our aging infrastructure, Altieri warned that, in his view, this is the most significant issue the community faces.

Find out what's happening in Larchmont-Mamaroneckwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

But who pays for the repair and who is responsible for the system’s maintenance?  Altieri explained that WJWW runs the water supply system, supplying the Towns of Mamaroneck and Harrison and the Villages of Larchmont and Mamaroneck.  He warned that we are facing a collapsing water structure.  Maintenance is critical, but it is also costly.  

Altieri told the audience that years ago the federal and state governments would fund 50-85% of the cost of replacing local municipal infrastructure.  Today, local municipalities cannot count on receiving any help from the state or federal government, even though assistance is critical and without help the burden on rate and taxpayers could be extraordinary.  Our local governments today are furthered encumbered by the restrictions of the state tax cap.

Find out what's happening in Larchmont-Mamaroneckwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to Altieri, the biggest water project that the Town must undertake is compliance with the EPA’s mandate for UV-treated water throughout the system.  The proposed fix is being delayed as officials from WJWW work on a plan to draw the water from existing NYC water shafts, rather than build a new Town water filtration system that could cost up to $30 million.

The community will also face a problem in 2017 when New York City, the source of our water, imposes a requirement that we cut back our water usage by up to 50% while the City completes work on water tunnels and pump stations.

Village of Larchmont Mayor Anne McAndrews agreed that the cost of maintaining the water supply system will be high.  She explained that Larchmont regularly conducts investigations into water leaks and the village is planning to install 1800 new water meters in village homes.  The new meters will permit water-usage data to be transmitted in real time and thereby allow the quick discovery of leaks and excessive usage.  The Village is also replacing and computerizing its water pump station and tanks on Byron Place, a project that will require millions of dollars. 

McAndrews warned that the Village will need to borrow money for the improvements and repairs, and advised that we will see the cost of upgrades and repairs on future water bills.  She characterized the Village of Larchmont as  “a lovely old house on the Sound that needs constant maintenance and, on occasion, a massive infusion of cash.”

Our sewer system is also aging.  The sewage system in the Sound Shore communities dates back nearly 100 years. The sewage system in the Village of Mamaroneck is 80 – 100 years old and the first Mamaroneck Village sewage treatment plant was built in 1929.  Since the 1990s, the Village of Mamaroneck has spent approximately $3 million in sewer system repairs and will spend an additional $1.75 million over the next several years, according to Village of Mamaroneck Manager Richard Slingerland.  The scheduled repairs, however, will only address approximately 15% of the Village’s sewer lines.  The repairs are necessary because of inflow and infiltration problems and the Village is working with the EPA on a program to detect illegal discharges.

Singerland further explained that pipe openings can be damaged or narrowed by the collection of sediment and rust.  Also, in a coastal area such as ours, the salt eats away at the pipes.

As an example of the problems an aging system presents, Slingerland recounted how workers broke through the sewer main while working on the Jefferson Avenue Bridge project, largely because there was not clear mapping.  The old reinforced concrete pipe was not designed to be waterproof, even though it was buried underground and routed under a river.  When the Village replaced the line, it was properly sealed and made of high quality materials, but many aging lines remain in place.

Larchmont is also facing sewage system problems because of its aging infrastructure.  Beneath the streets of the 1.1 square miles of Larchmont Village, there lie 26 miles of old sewer pipes and there are 400 manhole covers on its streets.

The Village has a 300,000-gallon retention pump in Flint Park that was built in the 1990s.  The use of this facility is shared with the Town of Mamaroneck, New Rochelle and the Pelhams.  Excess water in the sanitation system that results from heavy rain and illegal sump-pump hook-ups can cause the tank’s safety valve (SSO - Sanitary System Outflow pipe) to release sewage into the Sound, even though the sewage has been treated and is diluted. The Village is under state and federal mandates to address the issue.  The municipalities who share the facility are also sharing the cost of engaging an engineer to explore solutions to the problem.  This may involve lining all the pipes, which, in McAndrew’s words, can cost “a heap of money”. 

McAndrews suggested a state environmental bond to help with the expenses that will be incurred in order to address the problems of an aging infrastructure on a large scale, rather than having local governments engage in a patchwork of less-than-permanent fixes for its systems.

Seligson agreed that the best solution to these costly repairs is a partnership among the federal, state and local governments to share the burden of maintaining and improving the various infrastructures.  Seligson said she has been advocating this for many years.  She warned that the burden on local governments can be unbearable when the state or federal government issues mandates to local governments without providing financial assistance.  This can lead to very large borrowing.  

Protecting the Sound.  As we enter the summer season, the potential release of sewage into the Sound becomes an even greater concern as it can result in beach closings up and down the shoreline, having a financial, health and recreational impact on residents and users.  The wrong combination of weather, illegal hook-ups and system breakdowns can cause storm water to enter the sanitary system and create problems.  Adding to the problem is the fact that, with respect to storm water drainage, our three communities are at the bottom of two major watersheds, taking water from as far away as North Castle and White Plains.

Seligson, a long-time water quality advocate, stressed her concern for the Long Island Sound, reminding audience members both how important the Sound is to our communities and how everything we do above ground and below the ground has an impact on our environment and on the Sound.  She urged residents to reduce water consumption and refrain from using pesticides and fertilizer on lawns.  The Town has legislation that enables it to pass restrictions on water consumption, but specific limits have not yet been enacted, despite urging from WJWW, which is fined if water pressure falls too low.  Altieri advised that New York City imposes an excess surcharge for water use above 150 gallons per day/per capita, and we have generally exceeded that per capita limit.

This breakfast forum was hosted by The Larchmont-Mamaroneck Local Summit, an informal community council that seeks to make life better for all in the tri-municipal area. Its monthly public meetings are usually held at the Nautilus Diner in Mamaroneck at 7:45 a.m. on the third Tuesday of the month. The next breakfast meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 16.                                                              

Written by Nina Recio Cuddy

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?