Repairs to Town of Hartwick Reservior Structure Are Underway
By DARLA M. YOUNGS
HARTWICK
Town of Hartwick officials are making good progress on repairs to the town’s reservoir structure, according to Interim Town Supervisor Connie Haney.
Following an emergency water meeting called by Haney on April 14—after Councilmember Bryan LoRusso reached out to the New York State Department of Health following reports from a resident who had questioned the health and safety of the town’s water system. A mold issue in the water reservoir building was observed and noted by the New York State Department of Health as a deficiency that must be rectified.
The municipality’s drinking water was not impacted, officials said.
Responding to questions as to the status of the repairs, Haney reported in an e-mail on Monday, June 9 that a humidistat has been installed in the reservoir structure, which has improved the situation with regard to condensation.
“We are working with Delaware Engineering to address additional ventilation revisions to improve the structure,” Haney said. “There will need to be repairs made to the gable end walls, replacing the sheathing, new exhaust fans, and vent covers.
“Once Delaware Engineering supplies its report, we will be working with the Department of Health to ensure that we meet or exceed expectations for resolution,” she explained.
On April 21, Town Board members voted to approve expenditures up to $32,500.00 for a design from Delaware Engineering that will address ventilation, mold issues and other structural concerns in the water reservoir building. In addition to the design, the town will also contract with Delaware Engineering to bid out, award and manage the project.
To date, town officials are unable to confirm the total anticipated cost, but there is grant money available that can be allocated to the repairs.
“We will use remaining grant funds until they are exhausted. At such time, should there need to be additional funds expended, the Town Board will work together to make those financial decisions,” Haney said.
Both the Department of Health and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are assisting the town in this matter.
In an unfortunate and ironic turn of events, on May 9 town officials issued a Boil Water Notice when the town’s water tested positive for Escherichia coli bacteria.
Haney confirmed that the positive E. coli result was not related to the issues with the reservoir structure, adding, “We will not speculate regarding the cause of the positive e-coli result.”
According to the DoH, a positive E. coli result indicates that the water may be contaminated with fecal matter, potentially containing disease-causing organisms. If E. coli is detected, the water is considered unsafe to drink.
Water samples were collected on the morning of Monday, May 12 and submitted for testing. The Boil Water Notice was lifted on Tuesday, May 13.
“The Town Board will continue to monitor the needs of our water system with the safety and well-being of our community at the forefront,” Haney said.
Despite its water-related issues, the Town of Hartwick has plenty of positive news to report.
“The Town Board continues to work on several projects, including our new Community Center—which is located at the end of Wells Avenue next to the baseball fields—with scopes of work completed and upcoming public bidding for the stages of that work,” Haney shared.
Prior to Memorial Day, memorial flags representing each branch of the military were also installed in the town’s Husky Park.
“We just had a very successful Clean Sweep Day on May 31. In the face of terrible weather that day, there was a great turnout of volunteers, workers and citizens who were very appreciative of the event,” Haney said.
