The Peru Gazette

Peru, NY Section 202B of NYS Law requires the Peru Town Board to conduct a Public Hearing regarding an estimated $9.4 million upgrade to the Reservoir Road water treatment plant (drinking water, not waste water).  The Clinton County Health Department mandated that the water district improve water clarity/turbidity. The board conducted the hearing on May 29, 2024, at 5:45 p.m.

On March 25, the town hired Barton and Loguidice of Albany, NY, to engineer the plant upgrades. John Frazer Jr. represented Barton and Loguidice at the hearing.

Mr. Frazer said that more severe storms have resulted in high turbidity over the past two decades, and many communities are experiencing the same issues. Barton and Loguidice recommended installing clarification equipment that will function before the existing filtration process. They also recommended drilling an on-site well. The plant’s new equipment will mix the well water with water from the existing reservoir. Frazer said the additional process would require more staffing once it’s online.

Barton and Loguidice must apply for funding with the NYS Environmental Facilities Corporation by June 14. Frazer said he also has other funding sources in mind. In response to a Peru Gazette question, Frazer said the cost to a typical user would be between $218.51 and $269.27 per quarter. He did not state his firm’s estimate of the tax rate cost to district users, saying it depends on the amount of outside funding received.

Frazer believes Peru has a good chance of being awarded funding because of the Health Department mandate. Ultimately, the town will finance any remaining costs through long-term borrowing, which is paid for by water district property owners.

Reservoir Rd. Resident Carl Bowen was the only resident appearing to ask questions.  Mr. Bowen shared his concerns about severe hard water issues with well-sourced water in Saranac Lake and Tupper Lake, which he said cost many extra thousands of dollars to treat. In response, Frazer reassured Mr. Bowen and the board that his firm had thoroughly considered the hardness issue. He explained that they do not anticipate hardness as a problem because the water entering the system will combine reservoir and well water.