Getting Piped

Chris McKenna

Kiryas Joel's plans to tap the Catskill Aqueduct are moving forward despite a second lawsuit by Orange County challenging the environmental review for the water project.

Shortly after the county filed suit July 30, village officials submitted an engineering report anticipating no apparent delay in their schedule: They planned to begin designing and getting permits for the 12.5-mile pipeline this fall and to start construction in 2010.

Officials filed that report with the state Environmental Facilities Corp. in August as part of an application for a short-term loan for the project, now estimated to cost $29 million.

A month earlier, the village bought a road and 21.5 vacant acres near Riley Road in New Windsor, where it plans to tap New York City's underground water tunnel and build a pump station.

And in recent weeks, a contractor began tinkering with a long-dormant well field in Cornwall that could prove to be a critical backup water source for Kiryas Joel.

The village obtained the four wells — once the water supply for the defunct Star Expansion factory in Cornwall — in 2005 and may need them to satisfy a requirement that it keep as much water in reserve as it would draw from the Catskill Aqueduct, in case the tunnel is ever closed for repairs.

Village officials have previously suggested that they could add the Star Expansion wells to their supply by connecting the former factory's pipes to the aqueduct pipeline, which would pass nearby on Route 32.

The pipeline would cross Woodbury and Cornwall, carrying New York City's upstate reservoir water to a new treatment plant off Seven Springs Road in Woodbury and then to Kiryas Joel, according to the August engineering report.

The report indicates that the village's 16 wells just barely meet its normal water demands, since two wells are inoperable and two others cannot be used until they are drilled deeper.

For almost a decade, community leaders have pursued the aqueduct connection as a long-term water source for Kiryas Joel's booming population, but they hit a legal snag in 2004 when opponents persuaded the county to challenge the environmental review in court.

Both then and this year, the county has contended that the village has failed to adequately explain the project's impact on wastewater treatment and other environmental issues.

An Avuncular Puzzle Page

Can you spot the 4,239 things wrong with this article?

The Chronicle > News
Sharing the water wealth: County proposes regional loop
Published: November 13, 2009
Chester — Hudson Valley has long been known for its abundant water supply. It has enough to supply New York City. Right?

Actually, in recent years Goshen, parts of Blooming Grove and Chester, Middletown and Washingtonville have all had water problems. With the economy creeping back up, and developers showing their wares again, the county is proposing countywide improvements in infrastructure (including “water loops”) for both water and sewer services for the 816 square miles for which it has primary responsibility.

In last year’s State of the County speech, Ed Diana said, “The best and the only way to achieve the goals in the (county’s) master plan is to develop regional water and wastewater systems.”

In September, the county planning commissioner, David Church, presented the legislature’s Physical Services Committee with a draft of the water authority’s new master plan.

It is a massive document with a wealth of information, maps and resources about the county’s water resources, collected and reviewed in a series of regional seminars of the Moodna Basin. But some legislators are wary of towns giving up home rule to the county about a resource they hold near and dear. Church gave them assurances the water authority will not plan any changes to a municipality’s water system without their full participation and agreement.

He cautioned that a list of municipalities have been desperately asking for help with shared water projects. “Don’t doubt for a minute that moving forward this is going to be important,” he said. “You need it to survive. You can’t live without water, and right now a bottle of water costs more than a bottle of gasoline.”

He presented the water master plan for their review, and given its size, predicted it need a month or two for study. After that it will be posted online and presented at public hearings and possibly a public information session.

The water plan is a part of the county’s new Master Plan that concentrates on aquifer protection, sewer provisions and affordable housing, but it can and probably will be reviewed and voted on separately.

Concerned about the potential for abuse of power, legislators asked county attorney David Darwin if the water authority had the legal right to impose their decisions on a municipality. He said “Yes, but they wouldn’t do that.”

Further, they have the ability to bond without legislative approval. Delving into the voluminous document (available now at http://waterauthority.orangecountygov.com) critics found the standard — but also disturbing wording that they do have the authority to do whatever is necessary for the health and welfare of residents, and to override a municipality if necessary.

Even legislative Chairwoman Roxanne Donnery was skeptical, recalling fees her own district in Highland Mills were charged for a water loop to provide for Woodbury.

“We were taxed without receiving any benefit,” she said.

Sheila Conroy, a former supervisor of Woodbury who is a member of a citizens committee arguing against the amendment agreed, said that when she was supervisor it became very difficult to balance the budget because of hidden fees — including a lawsuit Woodbury was not even aware they were involved in.

“We don’t need a water czar,” she said.

But from the county’s perspective, there is great pressure to centralize for the sake of efficiency and cost savings.

They have an overwhelming responsibility to account for welfare of the county’s citizens. Poor functioning of sewer and water plants puts their citizens at risk. Even routine maintenance is made easier when one of these water loops makes it possible for a town to borrow from a neighbor while their own tank is repaired. But many think that upgrades can be made without a new document that gives belt and suspenders to the powerful authority the county already has.

“Don’t doubt for a minute that moving forward this is going to be important,” he said. “You need it to survive. You can’t live without water, and right now a bottle of water costs more than a bottle of gasoline.”’

David Church, planning commissioner

“This sets a legal precedent and we have to look at it carefully,” Donnery warned.

Another legislator said he would want it in writing that the county would not take any action without participation and agreement by the municipality. Sheila Conroy, Robert Fromaget of Democratic Orange; Lorraine McNeill, former Woodbury councilman; and Jonathan Swiller, chairman of OCEAN are calling for an oversight committee such as Rockland County has found to be helpful. Fromaget pointed out in particular that even the mayors of Washingtonville and Blooming Grove disagreed with the water and sewer figures in the plan that might justify creating a loop to the already stressed Cornwall wells.

A presentation on the Moodna Creek Conservation and Management Plan will be given at the Blooming Grove Town Hall at 7 p.m. on Nov. 30. The water authority has given Nov. 30 as a deadline to submit questions and comments.

The Envelope Please

So, as far as we can tell, here are the results:


Town Councilman

James Skoufis - 944
Frank Palermo - 906
Ralph Caruso - 827
George Pedersen - 791

Yes, Ralph beat Georege. Amazing!

For the uncontested seats (except by write-in)
John Burke - 1050
Pete Stabile - 1064
Dwsiree Potvin - 1049
Carol Herb - 1164

We don't have the write in numbers yet.

David Levinson 1355 (unconfirmed)
David Hasin 970 ( appx, unconfirmed)

Some Legislature Contests

Roxanne Donnery 1750

Townsend is reported to be 13 votes ahead of Kemnitz.

Castricone beat Spencer.

Hines Beat Randazzo and Fromaget

In Monroe, Sandy Leonard won but her team-mates Weeks and Martin lost.

Caruso Made The Last Minute Flyers Run On Time

Whew! Just made it. The last minute flyer from Caruso has shown up.

Interestingly, there are no out-right lies in it.

Instead it merely hints strongly at some back room manipulation and has a somewhat bizarre opinion regarding the KJ Pipeline.

Since it's a bit hard to read we have reproduced the text in the first post on this thread.

The hint of backroom manipulation: The Republicans ran no one against Burke. The Democratic Committee (including Burke) was very muted in its comments about Ralphie. Was this a quid pro quo? We R's won't run anyone against our pal Burke, you D's put up some sacrificial lambs for council seats and Burke and Caruso will sail in on a shared victory?

Just conjecture, but with this cast of characters you never know what deals were struck.

As to that "bizarre opinion." that John, Ralph and George will "rigorously and relentlessly oppose the 13 mile pipeline." I'd certainly love to hear from (my supposed doppleganger) the Pieman on that one. Fighting the Pipeline has long been his balliwick.