The Village Board has authorized submission of an application due June 23rd to the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation (EFC) where we seek a $3 million grant award (60% of our project’s cost). The Village DPW and our engineers prioritized six sections of our +100 year old drinking water system that are in the most need of replacement.
Our application proposes we replace the following six water mains:
1) Morning Star East to the Aqueduct Pump Station
2) Route 32 – Main Street to Village Boundary
3) North Manheim Blvd.
4) Prospect Street
5) Huguenot Street between Main Street and North Front Street
6) South Chestnut Street from Main Street to Southside Avenue
At over 100 years old, the water mains are mostly constructed of cast iron and highly tuberculated. They are prone to breaks and leaks.
Village staff has worked to reduce and manage “non-revenue water” (leaks, drinking fountains, fighting fires, municipal buildings, etc.) and we’ve seen a reduction of "non-revenue water" from 44% in 2015 to 39% in 2016. Just a one centimeter leak costs $57,000 annually based on our ’17-’18 water fund budget that estimates our treated water cost at $5.19/ 1,000 gallons.
Our municipal water fund is well managed, balancing its revenue from rate payers and operating expenses while maintaining a prudent fund balance. This has been done while pre-treated water purchased from the NYC DEP has risen 180% in the last decade for an average annual increase of 11%. The NYC DEP has asserted that we are sold water below its cost and rate increases could have been worse. Further, NYC DEP staff has cautioned that we should anticipate continued double-digit average annual increases for years to come.
Our water fund’s debt capacity will be pushing up against its limits soon after we purchase a $4.5 million new microfiltration system for our Water Treatment Plant on Mountain Rest Road.
A $3 million award from EFC that will reduce “non-revenue water” from leaks so New Paltz will be in a better position to manage our water fund’s expenses and hopefully minimize rate payer increases. “EFC will provide $112.5 million to selected municipalities with eligible drinking water projects. The amount of available grants may not be sufficient to offer grants to all eligible applicants.” Please keep your fingers crossed.
