Concerns about high water pressure in Hamburg, what homeowners can do

HAMBURG, N.Y. (WIVB) - There are concerns among residents in the Southtowns of very high water pressure coming into their homes and the possible damage it could cause.

They're calling for action.

WIVB News 4 was first contacted by Frank Damon of Hamburg. When he discovered very high water pressure was coming into his home, he took a look at the problems this issue could cause and contacted the Erie County Water Authority, who say this isn't their problem, it's his.

By the looks of it, you wouldn't think Frank has very high water pressure coming into his home. But, there are some signs, as he opens his hose bib and hears a groan.

It's something he learned of a few weeks ago, when he was having his hot water heater checked.

Industry experts say, ideally, the amount of water pressure you want coming into your home should be in the area of 50 psi to 70 psi. Frank's is coming in at around 100 psi.

"Being close to 100 psi is a very high water pressure level," said Brian Ritter, owner of Zenner & Ritter Home Services.

Other plumbing experts say the same.

"The higher pressure you have, the more damage you're going to do to your fixtures such as your dishwasher, every faucet, every faucet has cartridges or some sort of stem, your toilet, your washing machine, really anything that uses water is going to take a little bit more of a beating," said Lucas Cellino, the president of Cellino Plumbing. "I would say people that have high water pressure have no idea that it's that high, I'd be willing to bet almost nobody knows what their water pressure is."

Frank has a lot of questions for the Erie County Water Authority.

"They told me point blank, anything from the street in is your problem not ours even if we're causing the problem for you so, am I concerned? Of course I am," Frank said. "Did I know it was so high prior to this? No."

Leonard Kowalski, the executive engineer of the water authority says when water is pumped from the Sturgeon Point Water Treatment Plant it has to go to customers across the county and homeowners will have various water pressure based on topography.

He says the water in Hamburg's Mount Vernon neighborhood goes downhill causing the pressure to rise, which the water authority says has been the case for years. The ECWA says there have been no major changes in the water system here.

So what can homeowners do to lower the water pressure coming into their home? Experts say you can buy a pressure reducing valve.

"That's designed so that before the water reaches any of the appliances or fixtures in the house, it kind of drops the water pressure down to the level that's desired in the home," Ritter said.

But, it'll likely cost you to have it installed by a professional. Frank was quoted $825.

"I thought well, gosh that's quite a bit, I'm retired I'm on a fixed income," he said.

Frank hopes county legislators take this up as an issue to maybe give homeowners a break on the cost of pressure reducing valves.

What are some of the signs you have high water pressure entering your home?

"Most of the time, a homeowner's going to notice it with noise sometimes," Ritter said. "Clanging of the pipes they might notice when they shut a new appliance off or a faucet off suddenly they hear a banging of the pipes. Typically, it would be something that you would notice especially if it was at a lower level and then all of a sudden dramatically increased."

To check the water pressure at your home, you can get a water pressure gauge at your local hardware store that then goes onto a hose bib.

Click here for more information on the issue of high water pressure and what you can do to protect your home.