Pipe burst damages, disrupts Lake Flower Avenue
Boil water in effect for portions of village
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- Standing water in the vicinity of 321 Lake Flower Ave. is seen Sunday afternoon in Saranac Lake as Department of Public Works personnel begin repairing the rupture, which initially occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
Standing water in the vicinity of 321 Lake Flower Ave. is seen Sunday afternoon in Saranac Lake as Department of Public Works personnel begin repairing the rupture, which initially occurred shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sunday. (Enterprise photo — Chris Gaige)
SARANAC LAKE — A large water main burst occurred in the vicinity of 321 Lake Flower Ave. shortly before 10:30 a.m. Sunday, resulting in infrastructure damage and road closures.
The road, which is a portion of state Route 86, is a major thoroughfare in the region, with numerous residences and businesses situated along it on the east side of Saranac Lake. The forced road closure resulted in traffic coming from and going toward Ray Brook being re-routed using McKenzie Pond Road, Pine Street and River Street, according to the Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department Chief Michael Knapp. Local traffic was able to enter and exit the area using the eastern portion of Lake Flower Ave and state Route 86 toward the detour route at its intersection with McKenzie Pond Road in Ray Brook.
The Saranac Lake Volunteer Fire Department, Saranac Lake Police Department and State Police provided traffic control and established the road detours as Saranac Lake Department of Public Works personnel worked to shut off the water supply, drain the excess water and begin repairing the pipe.
Saranac Lake Department of Public Works Superintendent Dustin Martin said DPW crews worked throughout Sunday to repair the damage. As of press time Sunday evening, the road remained closed but Martin believed that the DPW crew would have it opened by 11 p.m. Sunday.
Even though Lake Flower Avenue is part of a state highway, Martin said the village was responsible for the underlying water pipe infrastructure and its repairs. As a result of the burst and subsequent loss of pressure, a boil water order was issued for a portion of the village.
The areas asked to boil water Lake Flower Avenue from Fogarty’s Lake Flower Marina to Turtle Pond Road including Tamer Way, Center Street, Merrill Street, Santanoni Avenue, South Street, Colony Court, Meadow Lane, Crossfield Road, Duprey St., Tara Drive, Poplar Lane, Edward St., Cortez Lane, Lakeview Terrace, Will Rogers Drive and Turtle Pond Road, according to Martin.
The water — which should be used for drinking, brushing teeth, cleaning dishes, making ice and/or food preparation — should be brought to a rolling boil for at least 1 minute before cooling.
Martin expected water quality sampling to take place today, and thought the order would be lifted sometime Tuesday or Wednesday, but added that it’s too early to know exactly when the test results will come back.
