The installation of water lines along Route 31, on Main Street in the former Village of Macedon, has run into some frustrating problems. Old, buried fuel tanks, only several feet under the sidewalks, has caused major delays and mounting costs.
The first buried tank was discovered last month at the southeast corner of the old Erie Street connection with Route 31 and removed on March 23rd. Abscope Environmental cleaned the tank and took soil samples. The relatively small tank was found to have about 1 to 2 feet of kerosine left in it.
Still, the removal and testing of the tank lead not only to delays, but to an extra cost of approximately $17,000 to the water line project, now under the direction of the Town of Macedon and Wayne County Water and Sewer Authority.
The bond resolution for the new 12” water line will replace very old, smaller pipes located on both the north and south sides of Route 31. It stretches from the former Village of Macedon border on the west to the pipes near the Berry Plastic plant in the east. It also includes a water line underneath the Ganargua Creek to the south that will serve the water customers in the Trapbrook subdivision. The money for the estimated project comes from a $2.62 million loan that will eventually be covered by the bond.
Little did the project directors expect to find mounting problems, only feet away from the original tank discovery. Four more tanks were discovered in front of the vacant lot just west of the original find on property once owned by Bob Taylor.
This very old picture of an Esso gas station along Route 31, where the majority of buried tanks were found, was supplied by the Macedon Historical Society.
According to Marchitell, it was not uncommon for vehicles to pull right up to the roadside curb for refueling. Fuel vendors often did not have driveways and parking lots for customers.
On the positive side of the equation, the old rugged, heavy duty tanks have not shown any signs of leakage. That was not the case when Kitty VanBortel’s Chevrolet dealership, a mile west on Route 31 in Macedon, underwent massive reconstruction only two years ago. There, when the tanks on that property were removed, the distinctive smell of fuel oil permeated the air and soil remediation was necessary and costly.
The tanks discovered on Tuesday (4/4/17) – three parallel and one perpendicular to the road – were found in the 95 to 129 Main Street area. They will go through the process of removal over the next weeks. According to Macedon Town Engineer, Scott Allen, the tanks contained some liquid/petroleum. The exact sizes of the tanks are unknown at this time.
Soil samples for laboratory analysis will be taken from the excavations upon removal of the tanks.
Tracing the long-lost tanks’ ownership may be a moot point. According to Wayne County Water and Sewer Authority Director, Marty Aman, there is hopefully enough money in the overall project to cover the additional costs of tank removal. It will all depend on if there is any soil contamination.
Aman said the Water & Sewer Authority has run into “limited” buried tank problems before in water line installation, but nothing as severe as the Macedon project. A DEC spokesperson stated “Tanks are sometimes found during utility and road work. Road widths have changed over time, so what are now sidewalks may have previously been in front of a building and some distance from the road. Also underground tanks were not always removed and properly closed as DEC’s Petroleum Bulk Storage regulations now require. It is not uncommon to find tanks like these when new road work is being completed. Scott Allen stated he was shocked at the number of tanks the digging unveiled, but that it is probably “common” in all old villages.
On Thursday, Macedon Town Supervisor Sandy Pagano confirmed, after meeting with the Town’s Financial Advisor, that there was enough money left in the project.
“The Village of Macedon, prior to dissolution, turned over $1,697,472.00 to the town to continue the Water Project.” The Town reported that there are contingencies built into the projections and only $2.3 million of the loan has been allocated so far, therefore the tank removal should be covered under this.
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