By Marianne Christy
Continual sub-zero temperatures have wreaked havoc on water lines throughout the Town of Webb the past three weeks, keeping DPW workers busy as they try to thaw frozen lines to homes and businesses.
DPW Superintendent Mark Hudon said he and his crew have so far tended to approximately 25 calls in and around Thendara, the lower Joy Tract Rd., and South Shore Road. And for the second year in a row, the Eagle Bay Welcome Center has been closed for the season due to a frozen water line.
Though some homes on the Thendara stretch experienced freezes last year, Hudon said his department is tackling issues in areas of Thendara that have historically been trouble-free.
They have been able to thaw some of the lines from inside houses, but where homes are situated far from the road they have been forced to dig up the ground with a backhoe to address the problem. But in most cases they have water running again within a couple days.
Hudon said he has spoken with Pat Scolara, a representative of the NYS Rural Water Association, who said the problems in Webb are typical of municipalities across the state who are experiencing the coldest weather in history.
“We are doing what we can…we’re just fighting the elements at this point,” Hudon said.