Saugerties City Council considers state offer to review water sources

Photo of a drop of water (Pixabay)

SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — The City Council is being offered the opportunity for the state to lead the development of a source water protection program plan that will prevent contamination before water reaches water facilities. treatment.

The proposal, which would be free through the state Department of Environmental Conservation and the state Department of Health, was considered Wednesday, June 12, at a city council meeting.

“When we say free, we mean free,” said Paige Bogart, a state Department of Health representative. “We have fully funded technical assistance providers across the state who are ready to help.”

The study would identify the city’s water sources and develop recommendations for protection through land use regulations that are either zoning changes or new sections of the code. Among the study products would be a map of drinking water source areas, an inventory of contaminant sources and a list of recommended measures to protect the system.

“We recognize that these actions can be very costly, so we will also help you find funding to implement these projects,” Bogart said. “By having a plan accepted by the state, it opens the door to many different funding opportunities. »

State officials would work with city and town officials to gather information such as testing history, violations, treatment systems and any city-specific water quality issues.

“Most plans take about 18 months (to develop) depending on how involved you are,” Bogart said.

Among possible recommendations would be land conservation efforts that could buffer water sources or prevent development. Councilwoman Leeanne Thornton said the information could have been helpful in a water resources study conducted 20 years ago on the city’s projected population increase.

“One of the results of that study was that the Glasco area and the southern (US Highway) 9W area, they predicted that within 10 years, that would be the most potential growth area and that would be a critical need for water protection,” she said. “That’s exactly what happened. … This is the area where new apartment complexes have been put up and there is a lot of growth.

The city is offered this assistance after qualifying based on other actions taken as a climate-smart community. Supervisor Fred Costello said he expects assembling the stakeholder group needed to start the process will be completed within the next couple of months.

“The question is not whether we will do it or not,” he said. “We have some confidence because of the work that has been done so far. … We tried to do our best to use all the resources we had.