When dredging of the Hudson River began near the Town of Halfmoon this past May, the town took no risks when it came to residents’ water quality and health and began purchasing PCB-free water from the City of Troy. On Tuesday, Dec. 8, the Town of Halfmoon water treatment plant resumed supplying water to residents in a cost-effective move.
It’s cheaper for us; more economical to produce water than to purchase it from Troy. Being able to use our own water source will save the town money and not have us continue to incur extra expenses that at some point, may have had us take a look at raising the water rate or taxing residents, said Town of Halfmoon Supervisor Mindy Wormuth.
Wormuth said it costs $1.81 per thousand gallons to supply water from Troy and that the town can produce that same amount of water for much cheaper.
According to Wormuth, water samples tested for PCBs indicated levels below base-line levels taken before the dredging. It will take about three or four days for all of the Troy supplied water to be consumed. The water from Troy contained fluoride but Town of Halfmoon supplied water does not. The town urged residents concerned with this change to consult their physicians.
No dredging will occur for the next nine to 12 months while the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) conducts a peer review process. The town is also in talks with the EPA regarding a lawsuit filed against General Electric (GE) that aims to secure compensation for the alternative water source.
`If GE doesn’t pay or we’re not successful [in the lawsuit], we’re negotiation with the EPA to convince them that they would step in and pay for the cost differential,` said Wormuth. She said the town is due back in court in February after the judge has had time to analyze the latest information they presented him.
Wormuth said that should dredging begin again in the future, the Town of Halfmoon will continue to utilize Troy’s water source.
According to an earlier Spotlight article, Troy Mayor Harry Tutunjian said the city’s water system has enough excess capacity to service Halfmoon and a few other towns along the Hudson, and expected the city to make a $500,000 to $1 million profit from the deal with Halfmoon. But he said monetary gain is not the goal.
`Dredging has been a contentious issue for some time,` said Tutunjian. `I commend any community that steps up to provide drinking water for its residents.`
GE dumped PCBs into the Hudson for 30 years, until 1977 when the chemical was banned by the federal government as a likely carcinogen. Under an agreement with the EPA, GE was required to dredge 265,000 cubic yards of river bottom by November, when the Champlain Canal closed.
The entire operation cost GE an estimated $780 million.
Halfmoon and other towns along the Hudson were worried that during the dredging process, PCBs would be kicked up and enter the drinking water before they could be caught.
For more on this story pick up the Thursday, Dec. 10 print version of the Saratoga Spotlight.
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