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Town shut down flow from the plant into the water system until review from the health department, then restored
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Flow stopped within an hour of discovering possibly infected birds.
SELKIRK—The Clapper Road Water Treatment Plant has resumed operations after receiving clearance from the Albany County Department of Health and the New York State Department of Health, town officials announced Friday evening.
The facility was temporarily shut down earlier in the day as a precaution after town employees found 12 dead geese near the plant’s intake area. The total increased to 30 birds when state Department of Environmental Conservation investigators removed the birds late Friday.
“DEC said they found close to 30 birds and said that we should expect to find more, since they observed other sick birds in the area,” Commissioner of Public Works Paul Penman said on Monday. “We counted 12, but there were more among the rocks and shoreline we didn’t see.”
Penman said that results from testing of the birds for avian flu should be back later this week.
“They expect to find H5N1 flu strain because they are seeing it in sick birds across the state,” he said.
The town had proactively halted water production at the plant and increased its supply from the New Salem Water Treatment Plant and the City of Albany. Officials said residents did not experience any service disruptions.
According to a town statement, the Albany County Department of Health confirmed its work with the state Department of Environmental Conservation to remove the geese and consulted state health officials on the plant’s operation and maintenance.
“H5N1 should be adequately inactivated through the filtration and disinfection treatment systems at the facility,” the statement read. “Taking this source offline is not necessary, but given that they are able to meet demand without it at this point, it is certainly being proactive.”
Health officials recommended that the town temporarily increase chlorine levels when bringing the plant back online as a precautionary measure.
The state DEC also urged residents to use its online reporting form to report suspected cases of avian influenza, or bird flu.
“Albany County Department of Health has been notified about deceased geese found near the Town of Bethlehem’s Clapper Road water treatment plant,” Albany County Department of Health spokesperson Mary Rozak said. “The Albany County Department of Health is working closely with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and the New York State Department of Health.”
Birds that are ill with bird flu may exhibit signs and symptoms before dying from the illness. To report sick or dead wild birds, call the NYSDEC at 518.478.2203. For more information about bird flu, visit the Avian Influenza (Avian Flu, Bird Flu) page on the county’s website.
The Clapper Road Water Treatment Plant supplies a portion of Bethlehem’s water system and draws from a wellfield in Selkirk. Town officials said they will continue monitoring the situation and provide updates as necessary.
The discovery of 12 dead geese near the plant prompted town officials to shut down the facility out of concern for potential bird flu.
Commissioner of Public Works Paul Penman said staff found the migratory birds in the holding reservoir at the facility at approximately 2 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28.
By 3 p.m., the town had stopped the flow of water from the Clapper Road plant to the Bethlehem water system. The town contacted the Albany County Department of Health, which elevated the issue to the state Department of Health and the state Department of Environmental Conservation for further review.
Town officials released a statement later that afternoon, informing residents it had shut down the plant.
“We immediately made the decision to shut down the flow of water from the plant out of an abundance of caution,” Penman said.
Bethlehem, which had previously suppressed water from the Vly Creek Reservoir in New Scotland last fall amid concerns over smelly water, was in the process of increasing output from that source. Officials said the town would also increase its water supply from the city of Albany, which sources water from the Alcove Reservoir.
“Increasing the supply from Albany is just opening a valve,” Penman said. “We have also activated the two wells in New Scotland at this time.”
Bethlehem’s water system draws from four sources: the Vly Creek Reservoir, the Clapper Road wellfield, two wells in New Scotland, and a wellfield in South Albany.
While Clapper Road was offline, Penman said residents could notice a change in water pressure as the system adjusts.
“We are going to have to change settings on the system, but we should not see a disruption,” he said. “With a quick change of direction, unexpected things may happen, but we are prepared for that.”
The town said it is acting with “an abundance of caution” following recent reports of confirmed bird flu cases along the Atlantic Coast. Penman expressed confidence that the chlorine treatment regularly used in the water supply would eliminate the virus.
A 2007 study by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found that chlorine used in public water treatment cycles deactivates the bird flu virus.
According to the state health department, cases of bird flu were first reported in domestic poultry, wild birds, and some mammals as early as 2022. Officials said humans can contract the virus, though cases are typically limited to people who have direct contact with infected birds, such as poultry farm workers.
The Clapper Road Water Treatment Plant is fed by a wellfield on the property. Water is pumped from the wells and stored in a small reservoir before entering the plant for treatment.
“This is for collection and equalization,” Penman said. “It is not a long-term storage area.”
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