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WPCNR MAIN STREET JOURNAL. By John F. Bailey with Dan Seidel. February 20, 2004: It was a routine lunch hour for Daniel Seidel, the attorney with offices based at 2 William Street. On his way back from lunch, he spotted three White Plains Department of Public Works personnel setting up a work barrier around the Main Street Sewer manhole opposite the delivery entrance to Macy’s on Main Street downline from City Center.

SITE OF SEWER FLOW CHECK FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Macy’s delivery entrance is on the right. Manhole in question is near the sign below the red light. File Photo of Main Street Sewer route From WPCNR News Archives

Mr. Seidel reports that he engaged the DPW workers in friendly conversation, who allowed him to peer some 20 feet down into the manhole at the top of the open 16” Main Street sanitary sewer. Seidel says he saw the water running fast and close to the top of the pipe.

Eyewitness to Sewer Flow: First Respondent, Dan Seidel, White Plains attorney, shown at the Common Council work session Wednesday evening. Seidel observed the Main Street sewer flow for himself Friday afternoon. Photo by WPCNR News

Mr. Seidel told WPCNR in a comment: “It’s 1:40 p.m. on Friday, Feb 20, 2004, and the DPW guys are doing sewer flow review on Main Street, in front of Macy’s delivery entrance. Guess what? The sewer is flowing (nicely) at about 60-75% of its diameter capacity. You can see this by looking down and seeing how close to the top of the pipe the stuff is flowing”

Seidel said the DPW crew was checking the sewer flow with a Wier meter, that Seidel described as a black box that is placed in the pipe. He said the DPW workers told him the stream in the pipe was flowing at about 75% of capacity.

This is the third eyewitness account and the first for attribution confirming what midday flow in the Main Street sewer looks like since Commissioner of Public Works Joseph Nicoletti reported the results of his stick test reporting 75% capacity in September, 2001 and since another eyewitness worker attempting to connect the City Center sanitary sewer connection on August 29, 2003, also said the sewer was running 75% full.

Seidel described the flow of the sewer as fast, and what was obvious to the naked eye, filling two-third to ¾ of the pipe before the Wier meter was placed in the pipe. The D.P.W. workers were doing the flow review on a day when White Plains had seen no precipitation for one week, although the city has been experiencing slow snow melt Thursday and Friday.

Mr. Seidel told WPCNR he did not know what the purpose of the flow check was and why the workers were conducting it.

WPCNR COMMON SENSE. From White Plains Historical Society. February 20, 2004: The Historical Society opens historic Jacob Purdy House Sunday from 1 to 3 P.M. on 60 Park Avenue to celebrate the 272nd Anniversary of  President George Washington’s Birthday.

21-GUN SALUTE: Typical of traditional Washington’s Birthday celebrations at Purdy House, such as this cloud of gunsmoke from “Redcoats” in October, 2001, there will be a Flag Raising, a Re-Enactment, and tours of the Purdy House. The public can view Washington’s Letters written at the Purdy House when the first Commander-In-Chief stayed at the home in 1776 and 1778. There will be music and refreshments. Admission is Free. For Information and directions call 328-2152. Photo from WPCNR News Archives.