Letter from Bruce Markusen

Town of Hartwick Coverage Lacking

As an elected official, I do not make a habit of trying to correct media coverage about local government, but there are times when that step is not only necessary, but prudent. This is one of those times. In recent weeks, residents of the Town of Hartwick have been made aware of alleged problems with our water system, which are based on distortions and incomplete information and have been reported in an incomplete manner by the local media. These allegations, which have been spread irresponsibly over Facebook and social media, have created panic and fearmongering, as part of an effort to smear an elected official. It is time to correct the record.

This story began in early April with reports of mold being found on two walls of the Hartwick reservoir, as posted by Councilman Bryan LoRusso on one of his Facebook political pages. This issue of mold and moisture is not new, nor has it created a water safety issue, either now or in the past. The presence of mold has been a longstanding condition of the Hartwick water reservoir, far predating the term of our current water operator, Chris Briggs, who has been in the position since 2019.

Mr. Briggs, who is also a town councilman, identified the problem in December of 2023, when he submitted an AQUAS Infrastructure Management report to both the town clerk and the Department of Health. At Chris’ request, he met with the Department of Health at the reservoir on March 8, 2024 to discuss the presence of moisture, mildew and mold. The Department of Health confirmed that the water was safe, and that no danger was posed to the public, but did recommend additional ventilation in two areas. One involved adding a humidistat, which would turn on a large fan when the moisture becomes too high. (Currently the building is equipped with a thermostat, which will turn the fan on only when the temperature gets too high.) The second recommendation, agreed upon by both Mr. Briggs and the Board of Health, was to add passive ventilation, through what are called soffit and ridge vents. These two recommendations, along with all related information, were included in Mr. Briggs’ report to the Town Board at a water meeting on April 25, 2024, or roughly one year ago.

As a plan of action, Mr. Briggs reached out to a local contractor for an estimated cost of the ventilation work and presented that information, along with other water system improvements, to Town Supervisor Robert O’Brien for approval within the criteria established by Hartwick’s water grant.

The Town Board did not hold another regular water meeting again until December 16, 2024, when Mr. Briggs presented the recommendations for improvement and the estimated costs. As water operator, Mr. Briggs cannot unilaterally make the recommended changes, but must receive board approval (through a vote of Town Board members) for any purchases and expenses related to the changes. The Town Board did not provide that approval at that time. It is also worth noting that while Chris Briggs was discussing these ventilation recommendations, Councilman LoRusso asked if mold was present. Mr. Briggs said that yes, it was. This can be heard on the town’s website video recording of that meeting, at roughly the 15-minute mark. The video also shows Mr. Briggs handing the Town Clerk a hard copy of the recommendations. Mr. Briggs then followed up with an e-mail regarding the matter on January 9, 2025. All of this occurred several months before the Facebook post that created alarm within the community.

It should also be noted that during Mr. Briggs’ six-year tenure as Hartwick’s water operator, there have been not been any Department of Health violations. Not a single one.

Additionally, it is important to note that this is an issue involving building design and maintenance. It is not—and never has been—a water quality issue. This is confirmed by the last three inspections conducted by the Department of Health: on July 9, 2024, September 25, 2024, and April 9, 2025.

One other point: While it is recommended that the ventilation be improved, it is not the responsibility of the water operator to unilaterally correct these issues on his own. It must be done with Town Board approval, which did not come until April of this year.

Unfortunately, this episode, fueled by hysteria and lack of informed expertise on Facebook meant to spread unnecessary fear and panic, represents another attempt to smear the name and reputation of our water operator. In truth, he has been performing his job effectively for the past six years. The Department of Health reports and the Town Board minutes confirm that assessment.

And here is the bottom line: The water in the Town of Hartwick was safe in 2023, remained safe in 2024, and continues to be safe in 2025.

Bruce Markusen
Hartwick Town Councilman

Editor’s Note: We have been covering the Town of Hartwick meetings for a number of months now, in response to multiple e-mail, telephone, and in-person requests from Town of Hartwick residents who fall on various sides of a number of issues and who are concerned with town operations. With respect to Mr. Markusen, those meetings—very often held in front of a capacity crowd and with local law enforcement on hand—are newsworthy, and our reporting can be verified by watching any number of video recordings at hartwickny.gov. The “irresponsible” Facebook and social media posts to which Mr. Markusen refers are not ours.