City of Rochester
News Release
(Monday, Sept. 9, 2013)–Approximately 6,300 homes in the Rochester’s Southwest quadrant now have better water pressure thanks to the efforts of the City’s Department of Environmental Services Bureau of Water. The homes in the area have historically experienced the lowest pressure in the City’s water distribution system due to their higher elevation and relatively farther distance from available water supplies. Various solutions dating from as far back as 1944 have been suggested—from creating a separate pressure zone from the Rush reservoir to the installation of pressure regulating valves to elevated storage—but were never implemented due to costs, fire demand pressures and water quality issues.
“I am proud of the people who work for the City Water Bureau,” said Mayor Thomas S. Richards. “It is their hard work, perseverance and dedication to their jobs that reliably provides our residents with the best tasting water in New York State. You can imagine the work that goes into maintaining such an immense system and our employees do a wonderful job.”
This year, engineers from the City’s Water Bureau found a viable solution by performing hydraulic simulations on a computer model. The result was a 12 pounds per-square-inch (PSI) increase of pressure in the newly created zone at the highest point in the water distribution system—to 38 psi from 26 psi. N.Y. State recommends a minimum working pressure of 35 psi. The City delineated a boundary along Flint Street, Frost Avenue and Arnett Boulevard and extend the water distribution system’s Rush pressure zone west of the Genesee River with feed points at the Elmwood Avenue river crossing and the Monroe County Water Authority’s Scottsville Road connection west of the Erie Canal.
Since the installation of the new pressure regimen in August, water pressure, fire flows and chlorine residuals have been monitored daily with very satisfactory results.
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News Media: For more information, contact City Environmental Services Commissioner Paul Holahan at 428-6855.
Bureau of Communications
City of Rochester, NY
City Hall - Room 202A
30 Church Street
Rochester, NY 14614
desk: 585-428-6427
cell: 585-410-9373
www.cityofrochester.gov