SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Syracuse residents faced water outages Sunday night due to a water main break and supply issues from Skaneateles Lake. The Syracuse Department of Water has since restored service, but some are concerned about future shortages.
Lynda Hanrahan, a Syracuse resident, noticed unusually low pressure midday Sunday. By 6 p.m., she had no running water at all.
“I prepared a few containers of the water that was flowing, and then I noticed within about an hour that I had no water whatsoever,” Hanrahan said.
Hanrahan and her neighbors, who live in a high-elevation area, were among those impacted. She had to adjust her evening routine, rationing water for cooking and pet care. Posts on neighborhood forums confirmed widespread outages in nearby communities.
The department of water attributed the pressure drop to a break in the 100 block of 7th North Street and a temporary reduction in supply from Skaneateles Lake due to high winds. Additional factors contributed to the issue, including power outages that shut down two water pumps on the Eastside and lower reservoir levels from previous water main breaks.
By Monday morning, the department had repaired the main break and restored power to the affected pump stations. Wind conditions improved, allowing an increase in water supply from Skaneateles Lake. Water pressure steadily improved throughout the day.
Hanrahan, aware of the city’s aging infrastructure, believes similar issues could arise in the future.
“Until the city does a major infrastructure project replacing the water pipes, we will continue to have these shortages every once in a while,” she said.
She plans to stay prepared by keeping extra water stored at home.
The Syracuse department of water encourages residents to call 315-448-8360 to report concerns and stay updated on service issues.
AUDIO TRANSCRIPT
Hannah Beam: The Syracuse Department of Water says a combination of factors led to the citywide water pressure drop. A water main break on 7th North St. and high winds on Skaneateles Lake temporarily reduced supply. The department worked overnight to make repairs and restore pressure, but some residents were left scrambling.
Lynda Hanrahan: I was also preparing to cook my dinner and, you know, change the water in the dog’s bowl and that kind of thing, and I had to rethink some of those things with the water that I had.
Beam: The city says repairs were completed overnight, and two water pumps that were offline due to power outages are now back in service. Water pressure is steadily improving, and officials expect full restoration by the end of the day, today. For NCC News, I’m Hannah Beam.