Town of Plattsburgh, New York Water Infrastructure Project Advances

Town of Plattsburgh advances new water infrastructure

Project will bring 800 gallons of clean drinking water a minute

“Whenever we can, and at every turn, we have emphasized that water is a public interest issue rather than a political one. Our priorities in implementing this plan are health and safety, sustainability, and economic development. It would be hard to argue that those three things are not in the interest of the people of Plattsburgh,” Town Supervisor Michael Cashman said.

PLATTSBURGH | The Town of Plattsburgh will soon break ground on a cornerstone of its multi-year $24 million Water and Wastewater Capital Improvement Plan – the development of a new water source for the town that will generate more than one million gallons of water per day. In addition to supplying town residents and businesses with water, it will also provide water to the towns of Schuyler Falls and Beekmantown on contract as the town serves as a regional water source.

TAKING POLITICS OUT OF WATER The project is part of a larger commitment by Town Supervisor Michael Cashman to “take the politics out of water.” “Whenever we can, and at every turn, we have emphasized that water is a public interest issue rather than a political one. Our priorities in implementing this plan are health and safety, sustainability, and economic development. It would be hard to argue that those three things are not in the interest of the people of Plattsburgh,” Cashman said.

LOCATING CLEAN, SAFE WATER Officials said the town has been nearing the maximum capacity of its current water sources, so there was a clear need to locate and develop an additional water source. A study was conducted by Laberge Group of Albany to locate a source of clean and safe drinking water, determine its output capacity, and design a system for extracting and distributing the water. That design has been approved by the health department and is now in the hands of the contractors as they prepare to begin construction. Contractors include: Luck Bros. Inc., Triangle Electrical Systems, Inc. and L.H. LaPlante Company, Inc.

THE ECONOMICS AND SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER

In addition to ensuring a plentiful supply of safe drinking water for current residents, business owners, the additional water capacity will enable future development-allowing the town to maintain a healthy mix of residential, commercial, and industrial activity.

“There is a clear link between water infrastructure and economic development. Without an adequate supply of municipal water service, the Town will be unable to compete with neighboring communities and attract businesses of any real size. This increased water supply will open the doors for the Town of Plattsburgh to attract businesses. That will both help shift the tax burden from residents to businesses and simultaneously provide jobs for our residents. It’s a win for the community every way you look at it,” Cashman said.

North Country Chamber of Commerce President Garry Douglas said ”The Town of Plattsburgh continues to support a growing array of international manufacturers bringing foreign direct investment and quality employment to our region. But sustaining and growing this economic success depends on good infrastructure. The town’s $24 million capital plan will help to make sure these companies can grow and that new ones can be accommodated for many years to come.”

When Cashman and the Town Board partnered with Laberge Group to assess the condition of water supply, storage, and distribution in the Town of Plattsburgh, the findings were far from ideal, showing the town straddled with aging, deteriorating, and in some cases inadequate infrastructure. Among the issues were only one of nine storage tanks in good condition, storage capacities near capacity and inadequate supplies.

Rather than continuing on an ad-hoc, emergency repair basis, town officials and Water & Wastewater Director Scott Stoddard began planning to proactively address the problems systematically and bring infrastructure sustainability.

FUNDING THE WAY FORWARD

At the time of the infrastructure assessment, the town was approaching the date for significant debt drop-off. Town leadership had the option of eliminating the debt, or continuing at the 2019 rate that the tax base was already acclimated to and strategically borrowing to invest the funds back into the community in the form of water and wastewater infrastructure improvements.

“Our town’s future economy and quality of life depends on the investments we make today,” Cashman said.

The town has successfully secured and is leveraging a NYWIIA Grant of $1,432,293 and North Border Regional Commission Grant of $500,000 to put toward the total contract award of $2,034,350.

The project is set for completion in June 2022. ■

GET IN TOUCH

If, like so many communities across the Capital Region and throughout New York State, you have found that aging and deteriorating water infrastructure has posed a potential risk to public health and safety – or that inadequate water infrastructure is hampering economic development and job creation – Laberge Group can help.

Our multidiscipline team understands the intrinsic link between infrastructure and community well-being. In response we have developed a proven and impactful strategy for securing project funding and implementing projects that make a meaningful difference.

If you’re interested in how to get started, get in touch. We’re happy to be a resource for you.