Replacing water pipes in the West Village
Frustrations are rising on the P and O streets corridors in the West Village as heavy construction continues, sometimes all night. “The night shift ends before daybreak and the day shift picks up where they stopped,” one bleary eyed resident said. “There’s no getting away from it.”
While the roads are being reconstructed, the water mains are also being replaced, some having been in place for 100 years. The old pipes vary in material, from terra cotta to galvanized iron to steel, some with lead fittings around the old joints. Some are 12 inch, some are smaller ,and all are being replaced by new pipes.
“It will be worth it to have it done right – the old gas lines were dangerous, and have you seen the insides of the water pipes that are being replaced?” Florence Auld of O street asks. “And the roads are going to look fantastic. We just need to be patient and know it will be over soon, with great results.”
She crosses the road, stepping carefully between the mud and holes next to the old track bed, shouting good morning to her neighbor above the din of the jackhammer across the street.
