Several water main breaks Friday in the City of Lockport disrupted service to households and had city workers on the move.
The service interruption was announced on Facebook in a statement that said, “If you have water, it is safe to drink.”
Dennis McNamara, the city’s chief operator of the water filtration plant, said the breaks were in the vicinity of Pennsylvania Avenue, with a crew working for hours to resolve the problems.
McNamara said crews can’t dig right away because they need utility companies to come out and identify underground lines. “They have to be marked out,” McNamara. “They may not be able to dig it for hours.”
The water issue and severe winter weather prompted Lockport City Schools to close Friday.
“Several buildings across the Lockport City School District were affected today by a citywide water supply issue,” Deputy Superintendent Lisa Schrader said in a statement. “Combined with blowing and drifting snow and unplowed sidewalks in multiple areas, these conditions led to the decision to close the entire district for staff and students, ensuring a clear and consistent plan for all families.”
Schrader said that the district anticipates resuming normal operations on Monday.
Water main leaks typically happen during cold weather months, McNamara said, due to freezing and heaving. “Just a little bit of movement in the ground has a tendency to make breaks,” he said. “In the past couple of weeks, it seems we’ve had a rash of them.”
So far in 2025, the city has experienced 19 water main breaks. Last year crews fixed 42 breaks, with the most in 2018 at 50. McNamara said the city used to have two crews to do the work, but now has one.
“These guys are sometimes running around the clock,” he said.