COLONIE — The town announced Sunday morning that its emergency boil-water advisory is over, after first declaring it Thursday night after a valve failure at the Latham Water District plant.
“All water quality tests required by the Albany County Department of Health continue to confirm that our water quality has not been compromised,” the Sunday morning alert said.
The advisory caused disruptions at schools Friday and some businesses to either temporarily close, or to scramble to get bottled water. The town had said it expected water to be safe to use starting sometime Sunday.
Town Supervisor Peter Crummey had previously said the broken valve happened after the town shut down the plant Thursday so National Grid could do maintenance on wires nearby.
When the plant turned back on, the sudden pressure from the water caused a valve in one of the plant’s four, 32-inch concrete pipes to burst.
The water swamped the plant’s basement, filling it with 20 feet of water and nearly coming up to the ground floor, Crummey said. It also caused a drastic drop in water pressure in the town’s system.
The concern was that, especially in higher elevation areas of town, air or other contaminants could have seeped into treated water through cracks in the pipes carrying treated water, Crummey said. Crummey compared the discolored water some residents saw to the annual hydrant flushing the town does.
The town was able to pump the water out of the plant’s basement and had full pressure back to the system by 3 a.m. Friday, Crummey said.
Out of caution, the town said it had to advise boiling water or using bottled water to ensure there was no contamination after the value rupture.
The final tests Sunday confirmed there was no contamination.
“Thank you for your continued patience and…
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