Voorheesville officials have warned two village homeowners they could soon be without water after more than one million gallons of water has reportedly leaked from their connection since May.
The village sent notice via certified mail, dated Sept. 3, to two State Farm Road homeowners, Dominick Mariani and Lauri Sargent, that water service would be discontinued to each of their properties on Monday, Sept. 30. Repairs were made to the water pipe the weekend before the deadline, but the problem hasn’t been completely addressed, according to village officials.
The village had previously informed both homeowners of the leaks in the shared line on June 5. Leaks have been an ongoing problem at the shared line.
Both letters stated village rules and regulations prohibit the “willful waste or use of water through improper or imperfect pipes” and asserted that no corrective action had been taken. The village also requires property owners to “protect and maintain” all water pipes on their property.
“We have asked them to fix it or address it, or even have a conservation about it, and they haven’t,” Mayor Robert Conway said during a Village Board of Trustees’ workshop meeting Monday, Sept. 16.
Voorheesville Clerk Treasurer Linda Pasquali said the Marianis have since been in contact with the village. If plan is outlined with village officials, an extension could be granted.
Jennie Mariani, Dominick’s wife, said on Thursday, Sept. 26, they are working on resolving the problem, and declined a chance to further comment on the situation.
Pasquali said Public Works Superintendent William Smith informed village officials the Marianis had work done to fix the pipe, but it was were still leaking significantly.
Pasquali said the shared line was still leaking 5.8 gallons per minute, which totals to around 8,350 gallons daily. The total water bill for between the two homes has ballooned to $12,000 since May, according to Pasquali.
A decision from the village board is forthcoming on what action will be taken, she said.
The village requires a minimum fee of $150 to be paid in advance to cover 25,000 gallons of water use, and the out-of-village customer rate is double that amount. The prior rate before June 1 was $130. After the initial fee, there are increasing rates for usage.
