Clock ticking to find & fix Watertown reservoir leak, - WWNY

Clock ticking to find & fix Watertown reservoir leak,

WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) - The search continues for a leak in one of Watertown’s reservoirs, which is emptying around 400,000 gallons of treated water per day.

“Divers went in earlier this year and did some dye testing, but couldn’t find anything definitive,” said Watertown City Manager Ken Mix.

Earlier this month, a national company that specializes in water tanks drained the reservoir to take a look at where the treated water may be leaking. The company came up dry.

“There were no obvious big gaping holes in it. So we’re still not sure where the water is coming out,” said Mix.

Mix says the company that inspected the reservoir will now make recommendations which could include checking other areas for potential leaks.

“Maybe they’ve got some other recommendations on what can be done, and part of that recommendation may be to investigate the pipes,” he said.

The clock is ticking to find a fix since $500,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funding is reserved to repair the leak. While that money doesn’t have to be spent until 2026, Mix says a contract with whichever company will eventually fix the leak needs to be signed by the end of next year.

It’s the responsibility of the new city council and incoming mayor Sarah Compo Pierce.

“Right now it’s a matter of them taking their findings, and as far as I understand it, coming up with a few options on how to proceed from here, along with their accompanying cost,” she said.

The new city council will likely receive those options and recommendations next month.

Copyright 2023 WWNY. All rights reserved.