As Altamont’s new wells are phased into use, water is being flushed through the century-old pipes, causing brown-tinted water to flow from some residents’ taps. Public Works Superintendent Tim McIntyre said the village is aware of the situation and working to resolve it as quickly as possible, and that despite its color, the water is still safe.
The quality of the water has been tested for compliance with all health department regulations, and is safe for our residents. We are very confident that the well water quality is not a health concern, said McIntyre.
McIntyre said that as mineral deposits are loosened in the pipes during flushing, the water sometimes becomes discolored. He said it is not uncommon for this to happen, but there is no way to tell how long it may or may not last.
The village is working with the Department of Public Works, or DPW, to stabilize the dislodging of scale from the inside of the pipes. The DPW has initiated an aggressive water-main flushing program in the portions of the water system that are most impacted by the change in flow dynamics. The village is asking any residents experiencing problems to notify Altamont officials.
The new well water is a result of new development in the village. Brandle Meadows, a senior-housing project that is being constructed outside village limits is under way, and the old pipes are being flushed throughout the village to make way for the new water supply. The new wells will bring in almost double the amount of water to the village.
Developer Jeff Thomas has been awaiting the start of the project for almost two years.
`We are more than ready to complete this project that we feel is an asset to the village, and particularly to seniors, many who have been lifelong residents of the village,` said Thomas.
Throughout the course of the project, many residents have voiced concerns over the water assessment fees associated with Brandle Meadows. James M. Gaughan said the hook-up fee applicable to this project is $450 per building.
Thomas recently projected nine buildings, with eight residences each. In addition, a fee is assessed for each residence in the building, based on a formula.
Gaughan said if all 72 projected residences are built, the total cost for Brandle Meadows would be approximately $68,000.
`There currently is a fee of $15 for both ‘in’ and ‘out’ village residents per six-month billing period dedicated to a capital reserve account, which will be used to pay off the 20-year $1.4 million loan for the water project. There are no other increases for village residents. In fact, we have kept the water rates the same for 2-1/2 years, and have decreased the sewer fees by approximately 50 percent. In essence, we have, taking the small $15 increase above into consideration, kept the overall average bill lower than it used to be,` said Gaughan.
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