Vote looms on college’s bid for water hookup

The Marbletown Town Board is expected to vote on allowing SUNY Ulster to connect to a water district system.

Marbletown Town Board members expect to vote June 9 on allowing SUNY Ulster to connect to the High Falls Water District system.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. in the Rondout Municipal Center at 1925 Lucas Ave.

“We will charge the college the same rates that the users get charged for the water,” he said. “There’s no special rates. (New York) City sells it to the water district, the water district then treats it and sends it out to the residents.”

In an engineering report issued in September 2017, officials wrote the $2.87 million project would include a 2.3-mile line from the High Falls Water District, which is operated by the Rosendale and Marbletown. It would supply 35,070 gallons per day to the college, based on current campus use plus growth of 2 percent annually.

“There will be two meters,” Parete said. “One where they attach to the water district and one at the college two miles away, and the reading will be where they hook into the system on Berme Road.”

Officials wrote the current High Falls Water District demand is about 27,000 gallons per day to connections on 224 properties. They note the system can treat 216,000 gallons per day and store 300,000 gallons of treated water.

Water to the college currently comes from three wells that supply up to 15,000 gallons per day during the regular academic year and 7,000 gallons per day when college is not in session.

The report notes water used at the SUNY Ulster water system meets state health standards but has “high hardness, high sulfur and iron content” that damages sensitive equipment.

“Water at the college is also plagued with taste and odor problems,” the report states. “The water quality problems

adversely affect the oncampus water distributions system ... (which) include scaling, corrosion, and decreased service life of boilers, chillers, kitchen equipment, fixtures, valves.”

Approval will also need to come from Rosendale Town Board members, which split the responsibility of oversight because the High Falls Water District

is in both Rosendale and Marbletown. Parete said the Rosendale vote is expected to be June 7.

Town officials have been negotiating with the college for about two years to allow the extension, but have been unable to agreed on allowing other properties to connect. Ulster County officials and college representatives say funding is limited to educational use, but Parete has said he expects the county will allow exemptions from the restriction.