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Coxsackie still battling water main breaks

Jan 14, 2011 7:12 am
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="100" caption="The Village of Coxsackie is in the midst of building a new $3.5 million water treatment plant, as local line breaks continue. "][/caption]The Daily Mail reports today, January 14, that a series of water breaks in the Village of Coxsackie is continuing, including one on Kings Road, which has experienced several breaks over the past couple of weeks. To address the ongoing problem with the century-old water pipes, the village is planning on making repairs that will at least localize the problems when they do occur. “We have continued to have a fair number of water breaks not related to a specific problem,” Mayor Mark Evans said during the January Village Board meeting. “We are having a couple of valves replaced so when we do have these breaks, we will only have to shut off a couple of streets – we won’t have to shut down the entire village."


With all the water problems of late, the CodeRed notification system has gotten off to a busy start. Implemented in the village late last year, CodeRed sends out alerts to everyone in the system about problems such as water breaks, boil water alerts, road closings, emergencies or other issues facing village residents. Recipients can get alerts via landline, cell phone, email or text message. Alerts are sent out by the mayor, village clerk, department heads or other village employees.




The Village of Catskill has also had problems with their water system in recent years, and have had to disseminate Boil Water alerts on several occasions, with varying results and many complaints.



“Our staff has gotten accustomed to using the system and they have sent out several messages so far. It is working well, and people are continually signing up for it,” Evans said. “People may not be happy with the water being shut off, but they are glad they are getting timely notice when it does happen.”

Deputy Mayor Stephen Hanse said he received a CodeRed alert the night before, and said it makes a big difference in how problems such as water line breaks impact his family.

“Information is key. The system is able to provide residents with notice and it provides a sense of how long the water will be off so you can plan for it,” Hanse said.

Residents who are not in the database can sign up at www.villageofcoxsackie.com. There is no charge to be included in the database or to receive alerts.