Syracuse, N.Y. — Mandatory water restrictions in place for nearly a month in six Central New York towns have been lifted, the Onondaga County Water Agency announced today.<\/p>\n
The repair to a rupture transmission main is complete and the line is pressurized, OCWA said. <\/p>\n
The agency is still asking water users in those towns to continue conserving water until water quality tests are complete and the agency\u2019s 50-million-gallon reservoir is refilled.<\/p>\n
\u201cOCWA asks that customers be mindful of their consumption,\u201d the agency said in a news release. \u201dVoluntary conservation will be in effect until the Eastern Reservoir, which serves the affected communities, is refilled to normal levels. This is expected to occur sometime later this week.”<\/p>\n
Water flowing into the area now from the reservoir is safe to drink.<\/p>\n
Car washes can reopen, but OCWA asks that they operate only 10 hours a day until the reservoir is full.<\/p>\n
The rupture in the transmission main on Dec. 20 cut off water to 27,000 customers in DeWitt, Manlius, Pompey, Sullivan, Lenox and Lincoln. To keep enough water flowing from the reservoir, residents and businesses reduced water use and OCWA cobbled together a patchwork of water supplies from as far as Oneida to keep taps flowing.<\/p>\n
Jeff Brown, executive director of OCWA, said there are no firm estimates of how much the repair will cost OCWA, but it will be \u201cin the millions.\u201d The agency has a $5 million reserve fund that will cover the cost, he said last week.<\/p>\n