Some public officials in Ulster County are pushing the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to find a new operator for the five water supply systems currently operated by the Hudson Valley Water Company, Inc. (HVWC) that serve a comparatively small number of residential customers. HVWC operates five systems in Ulster, in Mount Marion, High Falls, Pine Lane – Hurley, West Hurley and Boiceville. The officials said that customers have been plagued for long enough by service interruptions, poor communication, and what they allege is the company’s failure to follow standard operating procedures including emergency provisions that were approved by the PSC.
Dr. Carol Smith, commissioner of the Ulster County Department of Health, said, “The Ulster County Department of Health has fielded complaints from HVWC water customers over many years and has repeatedly tried to intervene to ensure appropriate measures are taken to provide adequate service and quality water to these residents. It is beyond time for a solution that will ensure a safe and reliable water supply for these residential customers.”
State Sen. Michelle Hinchey said, “Access to clean water is a constitutional right in New York. Despite our repeated interventions as elected officials to safeguard this right, the Hudson Valley Water Company has consistently violated it, leaving our residents without drinkable water for years. This untenable situation, marked by frequent interruptions and extended outages, abysmal customer service, and questionable billing practices, cannot continue any longer. We are left with no choice but to urgently call on the PSC to replace the owner and restore safe, reliable water service to our communities.”
According to Ulster County Executive Jen Metzger, “It is unacceptable to leave hundreds of Ulster County residents with no access to safe running drinking water for days at a time, and it is high time for the Public Service Commission to find a new qualified operator to take over and operate this critical service.”
Metzger and other officials in the county including members of the County Legislature and town supervisors from HVWC’s service area signed a letter calling for the PSC to take action. Among the signatories were Hurley Town Supervisor Michael Boms, Olive Town Supervisor Jim Sofranko, Rosendale Town Supervisor Jeanne Walsh, and Saugerties Town Supervisor Fred Costello.
They said that the company’s failures have repeatedly resulted in officials having to step in over the years to ensure residents were properly notified of issues, including outages, boil water notices, service interruptions, and the provision of potable water during a system failure. On Dec. 16, a nearly month-long outage of the Boiceville system began.
The letter to the PSC said, in part: “HVWC has historically elected not to invest in infrastructure and appropriate maintenance of these water systems. While the company and operators are currently struggling to address the Boiceville system, No. 2 High Falls experienced a service outage on Dec. 20 and 21, and No. 4 West Hurley is pumping at less than 35% and again requires leak identification and repair. As these systems continue to age and experience more breakdowns, service interruptions, and adverse impacts on water quality, the need for adequate investment has grown more urgent. Beyond the state of the system itself, customers have for many years complained about the substandard quality of HVWC’s customer service as well as unreasonable rates.”
The officials reminded the PSC that it had investigated HVWC in 2019 and 2020 and an order was issued directing the company to initiate corrective actions recommended by the PSC. They noted that various official have “repeatedly tried to intervene to ensure appropriate measures are taken to provide adequate service and quality water to these residents. It is beyond time for a solution that will ensure a safe and reliable water supply for these residential customers.”
The letter to the PSC concluded, “it is incumbent on the commission to facilitate a lasting solution that protects the health, safety, and well-being of the 430 households in our county that depend on these community water systems.”
The Business Journal attempted to obtain a comment from HVWC but did not immediately receive a reply to its request.
