Water usage moratorium extended

Water continues to be a contentious issue for the Village of Woodbury, as the board voted to extend the current moratorium on water usage at the Sept. 25 meeting.

Trustee James Freiband, who voted against extending the moratorium, said state law requires the village to provide water to its residents. He said the village has enough water to service the upcoming projects that were approved prior to the moratorium, and that there have been no studies to demonstrate the village’s water issues. He also questioned whether any other moratorium has survived for more than two years in New York State.

“We shouldn’t be basically picking and choosing on an exception basis. We need to have the water,” Freiband said.

Village Attorney Lino Sciarretta said he is aware of moratoriums that have lasted longer than Freiband claimed, and that whether they are extended is determined on a case-by-case basis.

The board and consultants discussed the challenges of bringing a new well online when the water tested was found to have unsafe levels of PFOS, a man-made forever chemical. Jason Braghirol, Water and Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator and Administrator for the village, explained that building a center to treat the PFOS issue would cost millions of dollars. He said the village is searching for more water.

Woodbury Fire Department Chief Christopher Burke shared his concern about how the increasing development in Woodbury will impact the village’s ability to handle fire emergencies.

“There’s a real worry I think from my perspective that when we hook to a hydrant, the fire department expects that hydrant to work, and I think I don’t have that comfort level right now,” said Burke.

Freiband challenged Burke’s concerns, claiming that available water that can be accessed through a hydrant is not related to the village’s water supply capacity.

“The moratorium exists to protect residents. When resources are limited, infrastructure is strained, and our public health could be at risk. It should never be lifted until we can guarantee that supply and infrastructure are stable and secure,” said Martha Lopez of Highland Mills.

Mayor Andrew Giacomazza said the situation has not improved since the village first implemented the moratorium four years ago, adding that the village’s efforts have enabled it get through two summers without the need to impose water restrictions on residents. The moratorium, he said, has nothing to do with halting development. He also commented on the number of projects to be built, including multiple hotels, which are among the biggest water users.

Thruway Authority water woes

Todd Gold, director of government relations with the New York State Thruway Authority (NYSTA), said the current moratorium inhibits the Thruway Authority’s ability to connect to a municipal water source. According to Gold, in 2016, the Orange County Department of Health recommended that the facility connect to a municipal water supply as soon as possible, and that the NYSTA has been seeking a resolution with the village since.

Gold said the NYSTA’s Harriman facility was built more than 70 years ago and has been without potable water for more than two decades. The NYSTA is asking the board to approve a hardship waiver by allowing them to finalize an agreement with the village and Woodbury Common to connect to municipal water through the outlet center. He said the connection, if approved, would be fully funded by the NYSTA.

Gold commented on the road maintenance and other work done by the authority workers Harriman, including working 16-hour shifts in extreme heat, and how they are not permitted to shower because of the condition of the water. Gold said the NYSTA is requesting 2,000 gallons of water per day.

Freiband spoke in favor of the NYSTA’s request. Citing a report from the New York State Department of Health Bureau of Water Supply Protection, Freiband said the pumping capacity of the village is just over 44 million gallons per month but the village is only pumping at 74 percent of that. Given this information, the village should provide the NYSTA with its requested water, he said.

Christopher Graziano of Highland Mills challenged Freiband’s assessment, adding that an average water supply report has nothing to do with water supply capacity as, he said, capacity must be measured based on how much water is available with the largest water source out of service. He said that water systems are designed to account for peak usage plus fire considerations. Graziano also commented that, once construction begins on certain pre-approved projects, the village’s water usage could exceed capacity.

Freiband said providing the NYSTA with water was a humanitarian issue, noting that many of the workers are residents of the community who work with contaminated materials and should have access to showers.

On the advice of the attorney, the board did not vote on the matter so that counsel could have time to review the latest version of the proposal.