VOORHEESVILLE — It was a busy week for the village’s department of public works as crews repaired three water-line breaks, which occurred as a chain reaction.

The first break was last Saturday night at about 7 p.m. when a valve on the eight-inch line on the lawn at Smith’s Tavern broke, according to Brett Hotaling, superintendent of Public Works.

“We were lucky enough to isolate it,” he said, closing valves off on either side until the broken valve could be repaired.

The village has 10 to 11 miles of water pipe, Hotaling said, describing the section along Route 85A in front of Smith’s Tavern as “newer, less than 20 years old.” Nevertheless the bolts in the valve had rusted, causing leaks.

In closing off the valves to isolate the break, “that shakes up the system,” said Hotaling. The shut-off caused a four-inch line on North Main Street to break on Sunday at 7 a.m.

“We went back on Monday to do the repair,” said Hotaling. Consequently, water was then shut off for three hours along the Altamont-Voorheesville Road and all of its side streets.

That, too, shook the system and caused another break — this was on School Road on Wednesday; that break was repaired on Thursday.

Hotaling said the cost for supplies to make the repairs was “minimal” and that the labor was handled by the Voorheesville and New Scotland crews; some overtime pay will apply for the Sunday repair work.

Hotaling praised New Scotland and John Hansel, who oversees the town’s water department, for helping. “We work hand in hand with the town,” he said.

Hotaling also said that Voorheesville water customers were cooperative. “We’re happy to have patience,” Hotaling said.

In August, an eight-inch mainline broke in the Salem Hills development.  Two valves were used to isolate that break and then both of those valves broke, Hotaling recalled.

“We had to shut off water north of the waterline for a day to fix the valves,” Hotaling said. “People were dropping off drinks and snacks for us.”

The Salem Hills system is “older,” Hotaling said, from the 1960s.

He does not think the recent spate of breaks indicates need for a system overhaul.

“It was just a stretch of bad luck,” Hotaling said. “I hope it’s over.”