Claverack, N.Y .– Flash floods inundated the Village of Gowanda, N.Y. after heavy storms on August 9th and 10th dumped eight inches of rain on the area. High water and debris knocked out the village’s primary water supply, but experts from the New York Rural Water Association were on hand to help restore service to the flood-shocked residents.
                 “Their raw water reservoir was filled with flood silt, trees, poles and other debris,” explained Jamie Herman, NYRWA training specialist. “Flooding damaged several tributary springs, leaving the water system with just two backup wells.”
                 The back-up pumps were far from a permanent solution. Newspapers reports indicated that the wells hadn’t been used in over a decade, and previous tests had shown low levels of barium and benzene.
                 “We’re unsure of the quality of the water; we’re confirming that,” Public Works Superintendent Michael Hutchinson said in the early days of the emergency. “However, due to the current water usage and the low level in our reservoir, we have to use that water now.”
                 The health department granted the village permission to use the water as long as a boil order was issued. The order could be lifted, once tests showed the water was safe. Even though the water eventually tested safe, the community had no guarantee their equipment could keep the system running.
                 “The pumps are 50-years-old, and there was no way to know if they’d stand up to continuous use.”
                 April Kellerhouse from the New York State Department of Health contacted NYRWA, requesting leak detection services, so Gowanda could conserve as much water as possible. A team was on-site within an hour. Herman, and NYRWA Circuit Rider Dan Tousley arrived in the area, but there were several communities asking for assistance, including Forestville and Silver Creek. After a planning how they could best support the small utilities, Herman remained in Gowanda to begin a system-wide leak survey. He worked through the night completing the survey.
                 “Washed out roads and debris really slowed the process,” Herman explained. “Sometimes debris completely covered fire hydrants, and had to be removed to conduct leak detection.”
                 The next day, Herman and Tousley returned to Gowanda to pinpoint the leaks detected in the initial survey. Again, the process was slowed by the emergency conditions.
                 “There was a lot of personnel and equipment in the area, working to clear roads and restore services,” Tousley explained. Leak detection and correlation involves specialized sound equipment to pinpoint leaks by the noise they make.
                 The pair were aided logistically by Circuit Rider Mike Batz, who arranged for equipment to be used at the site and coordinated with the state health department. After another two days, the team was able to isolate 15 leaks in the system, including main line breaks and fire hydrant damage.
                 “Most of the damage to the hydrants was caused by debris hitting them during the flooding,” Tousley said. “Some may also have been damaged by the heavy equipment used to remove the debris once the flood waters receded.”
                 Contractors were hired to make the necessary repairs. The coordinated effort of NYRWA with state agencies allowed Gowanda to lift the boil order and return service to its 2,800 customers. Of course the work is far from complete in the small community. Early estimates put the cost of repairing the reservoir at $3 million.
                 “A great deal of follow up will be required as the village gets back on its feet,” Herman said. “It will take these people months to get back to normal.”

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