A tall drinking glass containing $23.2 million for water projects will be coming to the Hudson Valley via the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
Gov. David Paterson said in a prepared statement Aug. 31 that three projects targeted for Orange and Westchester counties will improve drinking water systems, create jobs and protect public health. ?“Safe, potable water is necessary for our lives and livelihood and these economic recovery funds will support major capital improvements to our drinking water systems,” Paterson said. “In addition to improving the quality of our water, these funds will also create new jobs and promote economic development. I thank President Obama and our Congressional Delegation for setting aside stimulus funds for these critical projects.”?The funding will support construction of new wells, pumps and pump stations, water storage tanks, and disinfection systems; the replacement of aged water distribution mains; and the expansion of public water to areas currently served by poor-quality wells. ?The projects include: The Beaver Dam Lake Water Corp. in Orange County, which will receive $2.2 million to support the planning, design and construction to address various water issues. The project will include a new well source, a new water storage tank and will replace water distribution mains that are leaking and prone to break.
The village of Warwick, also located in Orange County, will receive $2.2 million to support the planning, design and construction for the improvements to the Village’s water system. The source water from the existing Well #2 requires additional treatment. The project specifically includes the upgrade of the existing well source and the construction of a micro-filtration water treatment plant to address water quality issues.
The Village of Briarcliff Manor in Westchester County will receive $18.8 million to support the construction of a new Catskill Aqueduct Tap with a meter, siphon controls, treatment, and a new pump station. The tap will be located just above the existing tap, which is shared by Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow.
The projects will be supplemented with additional funding through the state”™s Drinking Water State Revolving Fund. To ensure that the projects proceed quickly, the Department of Health and the Environmental Facilities Corp., which co-administer the Drinking Water State Revolving Funds, have contracted to begin work by Feb. 17.
