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Officials say water safe to drink as cleanup continues
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Town and County officials say that geosmin, a non-toxic byproduct released by dying algae, is causing bad taste and smell
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Algae not found in recent State tests on treated water coming from New Salem Water Plant
DELMAR— Bethlehem town residents continue to complain over the smell and taste of their tap water, despite assurances that it is safe to drink after the Town’s efforts to clean up the problem.
Residents have used colorful descriptions to characterize the water’s taste and odor, ranging from “old socks” to “dirty first tank water.” Online testimonials describe how the smell permeates washed clothing, dishes, and household appliances.
Complaints began in late September and have since dominated public comment sessions during town board meetings. Amy LaChapelle, posting in the Bethlehem NY Families Facebook group, remarked, “Our water still stinks!!”
The Department of Public Works has been working to flush the smelly water from its 227-mile waterline network since November. Town Public Works Commissioner Paul Penman noted that while the number of complaints has decreased, some neighborhoods continue to experience odorous water during the flushing process. He explained that the process is inherently slow and that older water can occasionally flow back into cleared lines.
“These backwater flows are unpredictable,” Penman said, explaining that as water moves through intersecting lines, isolating individual problems is challenging. To date, the Town has identified the Cherry Avenue and Delmar neighborhoods as particularly difficult to flush due to these interconnections. “That’s why some locations now have no detectable odor, [while] others extrude a noticeable one.”
“I understand people are getting impatient,” he added, “but if there were a way to expedite [the flushing] more, we would be doing that.”
DPW crews are tackling the issue on two fronts: flushing out the unwanted water from the Town’s waterlines and addressing the root cause of the problem. Deputy Commissioner of Public Works Dan Bolke explained that the odor originated from the Vly Creek Reservoir, one of the Town’s four water sources.
Since identifying the issue, the Town has implemented several measures, including adding potassium permanganate, increasing the water’s chlorine level, and installing a powdered activated carbon filter system at the New Salem Water Treatment facility to reduce odors.
Yanna Liang, Professor and Chair of the University at Albany, SUNY’s Department of Environmental and Sustainable Engineering, does not believe there is a danger of overtreatment. She stated that these chemicals are safe as long as they do not leave residuals, which she said is unlikely.
Still, the smell lingers around town. “I’ve smelled it and it is not pleasant. I wish there were something more we could be doing to take care of it,” Penman said. He cautioned that flushing over 600 hydrants is a slow process. “I know it’s slower than residents would like, but we are doing everything we can to be expeditious.”
Penman estimated that 175 of the 600 hydrants had been flushed in the last two weeks and anticipates completing the job by the end of January. He assured residents that this is more of a “nuisance” than a “health issue.” “But I don’t want to reduce the issue because in some instances it is an issue where the smell is very concentrated and can be strong. Even in very low concentrations, it can still be detectable,” he said.
Bolke explained that it has been challenging to clear the system because “the human nose can detect this [smell-causing] compound to a very small concentration of parts per trillion.” Currently, the water leaving the treatment plant is odor-free, but the odiferous portion has yet to be completely flushed out.
Bethlehem Town Supervisor David VanLuven acknowledged that remediation is taking longer than anyone would like. “Everyone is frustrated, and the frustration is valid. I am living it, too,” he said. He assured residents that the DPW is laboring to resolve the problem and expressed appreciation for residents’ patience.
What is actually causing the smell
Town officials attribute the issue to an algal bloom in the Vly Creek Reservoir, caused by unusually high temperatures and a drought this fall.
In response to written questions from The Spotlight, the Albany County Department of Health stated that the Town’s water is “safe for consumption and other uses.” An email to Penman from Albany County DOH Division of Environmental Health Director Maxwell Ferris confirmed that two water samples from the New Salem Treatment Plant were sent to the State DOH’s Wadsworth Laboratory to assess the presence of microcystins—toxins produced by blue-green algae that are hazardous to human health.
In the email, Ferris also noted that the lab did not identify algal blooms as a “significant cause of the taste and smell issues reported in the community.” He added that because the samples lacked sufficient growth of algae, no toxin analysis could be done.
The Spotlight has submitted a Freedom of Information Law request to the NYS DOH for the final report upon its completion.
Penman reiterated his belief that algae caused the smell. Both Bolke and Penman explained that when algae die, they release geosmin, a non-toxic byproduct that causes the odor and taste. Penman noted that geosmin is natural and has an “earthy” smell, similar to beets or mushrooms. He said it was the geosmin—not the algae itself—that was getting through the Town’s filtration system. Albany County DOH confirmed that the byproduct is the cause of the odor and taste issues.
“We are very confident what caused it,” Bolke said.
Todd Walter, Professor of Biological and Environmental Engineering at Cornell University, explained that with increased temperatures and droughts, chemical changes occur in the water. He suggested the smell could result from how sediments are breaking down in the water and may not be directly related to bacterial counts.
“There can be lots of smelly stuff in your water if there is drought and hot conditions,” Walter said.
“This was an unprecedented set of natural conditions that caught us completely off guard and that is unacceptable,” said VanLuven. “In hindsight, we should have anticipated it because it happened. Now we are working to make sure it never happens again.”
When asked why this scenario was not anticipated given the context of global warming, Penman said, “It never happened before in my 19 years with the Town. Hindsight is 20-20, and there are only so many scenarios you can lock in.” Penman added that the Town is “learning from it and taking steps so it never happens again,” including installing the carbon treatment system one year earlier than planned.
Bolke noted, “There were no red flags of any difference this year, so we finished the [summer] treatment as we have done in the last 20 years, but then the temperatures continued to be warm through October.”
According to a November 1, 2024, email posted on the Town’s website by Town DPW Chief Operator Dave Blenis, the reservoir water is treated with copper sulfate until the end of September or early October, when water temperatures cool to a point where “we aren’t concerned with algae.” Bolke said it was not until a resident complained at the end of October that the DPW became aware of the problem.
In that email, Blenis stated that odor and taste complaints occur from time to time, but “by early this week, we were getting inundated with earthy, musty odor complaints.” Blenis said the Town had the Albany County Department of Public Health test samples and found “an abundance of algae” but “no signs of any toxic blue-green [algae].”
The DPW immediately increased the coagulant and treated the reservoir again with copper sulfate, as the water temperature was still warm enough for the crystals to be soluble. “Pretty much everything we have in our HAB plan that we are capable of,” Blenis wrote. He added that plant water production was cut, and water was purchased from Albany to compensate, alongside continued flushing to remove the odorous water.
Long term, the Town is considering different reservoir management systems. Bolke said the Town is working with outside consultants on additional preventative measures. Penman added that the DPW will also adjust its chemical water treatment schedule based on water temperatures rather than calendar dates.
“We are working hard to implement a series of steps so this never happens again,” said VanLuven.
“The big issue is the environment itself,” Walter said. “But now, Bethlehem gets a chance to be at the leading edge of innovation.”
Cost of remedy to Town
According to Penman, the primary cost for addressing the issue is $5,000 per day for purchasing water from the City of Albany to supplement the Town’s water system. Bolke explained that supplementation helps diminish the odor problem.
Penman estimated that the Town has been purchasing Albany water for less than a month. He noted that the Town’s budget accounts for water supplementation expenses. He added that the costs for the carbon treatment and other chemicals added to the water system to address the odor are “negligible” compared to the Town’s total water budget, though he did not have the exact figures. Additional costs have also been incurred for overtime as crews work late hours and weekends to resolve the issue.
Cost of remedy to residents
Residents, however, report incurring significant costs for bottled water, filters, and even a new boiler after one homeowner mistakenly suspected a broken boiler was causing the odor. Buying bottled water also conflicts with some residents’ plastic bottle embargoes.
Resident Charlene McGuire Hesse said “I know that the water is not contaminated”, but she was drinking bottled water because “it tastes gross.”
Kris Carpenter, who lives across from Town Hall, said her water smelled like a “dirty aquarium filter” for the past six weeks. Even her pets refuse to drink it. She estimated spending about $100 on bottled water before she began lugging jugs to a friend’s house to collect water. During a public comment period at a Town Board meeting, Carpenter suggested the Town implement a water distribution center until the smell clears, but that step was not taken.
Town Board member Maureen Cunningham said she is concerned about the financial burden on residents. She has raised the possibility of compensating residents with VanLuven, but noted that some forms of recompense, such as a tax credit, are “complicated.” She explained that the challenge lies in providing a benefit to only some residents when all residents pay water taxes.
VanLuven said the Board is still considering a range of ideas but must weigh the cost of rebates against investing in the water treatment plant to prevent future problems.
After inspecting the New Salem Water Treatment Plant, which receives water from the troubled reservoir in the Town of New Scotland, the Albany County Department of Health confirmed last month that Bethlehem complies with the New York State Sanitary Code. The department also noted that the Town had implemented all recommended corrective actions. Penman, relying on the County’s findings, affirmed that the water is safe to drink, even if it retains some odor.
In a December 10, 2024, press release, the Town declared the water supply “safe to drink” and listed the corrective actions that had been taken. Town Board Member Maureen Cunningham also agreed that the water is safe, citing her trust in the Albany County DOH and the Town’s water operators.
Jessica Dillon, a resident near the Four Corners, expressed concerns about the water quality. She reported finding particulates in her drinking water, one as large as a pencil eraser. After a second incident, the Town dispatched a lab technician to test her water. However, the results were not available before this edition went to print.
“We realize how difficult this is for residents experiencing it, and we are doing as much as we can to take care of the issue as quickly as possible,” Penman said.
Still, the ebb and flow of complaints persist as some residents turn to alternative measures.
Residents have discussed paying for their own water testing, though none spoken to had done so. On the Bethlehem NY Families Facebook group, residents debated refusing to pay water bills, requesting a water tax credit, addressing the inability to afford water filtration systems, and worrying about possible long-term effects of drinking the water.
“There are not enough concrete updates from Town leadership,” Courtney Russell said.
Carpenter criticized the Board for failing to acknowledge residents during public comment periods at Town Board meetings.
“Our Town Board is useless,” she said.
Board members have continued their efforts to keep residents informed about the Town’s progress through two town hall presentations, several updates posted on the Town website, and individual messages on social media. However, Cunningham concedes, “There is a huge issue with public trust about the water right now.”
Cunningham, a Delmar resident, said she found Penman’s December presentation informative but understands the demand for greater transparency surrounding the issue. Meeting that demand, she noted, has been limited by the resources available at Town Hall.
Cunningham, who works professionally in public water safety, said that given the regulations and protocols that have been followed, people should feel confident with drinking the water.
“But I understand it is hard to do once you’ve lost trust,” she said, adding that she has urged the Town Supervisor to address concerns beyond simply assuring residents that the water is safe to drink. “One of the problems we have had is losing trust, so transparency should be as upfront as possible.”
VanLuven stated that the Town is always looking for ways to share information. He encouraged residents to contact him or other board members by phone, email, or when they see them around Town.
Another presentation is scheduled before the Town Board’s annual organizational meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 8. The DPW is expected to be accompanied by a consultant to share additional information.
VanLuven concluded that the best way to rebuild public trust is to ensure this never happens again.
One Elsmere resident whose water has been restored posted on Nextdoor, “I am really appreciating the smell and taste of clean water.”
Carpenter, however, is still waiting for that day. “I want drinking water that does not smell. That’s all I ask for,” she said.
Related Stories: DEC seeks comments to combat algal blooms in State, State DEC lifts drought watch.
Michael Hallisey and John McIntyre contributed to this story
This story was updated on January 10 to correct a quote from Bethlehem resident Charlene Hesse.
Bethlehem addresses musty odor in Town water supply caused by algae in reservoir
