By Doug La Rocque
There was a very popular country tune in the 1980s by Canadian songbird Ann Murray, entitled “We sure could use a little good news today.” With all the recent concern about the potential contamination of the water system that services the village area of Berlin, that song seemed appropriate. On Thursday, November 15, the Town got that good news. Town Supervisor Rob Jaeger told The Eastwick Press he received a call from the Governor’s Budget Office informing him that a grant for 60 percent of the estimated 2.25 million dollars required to construct a water tower and install the needed pipeline system, was approved.
Berlin’s Water District 2 must still come up with the rest of the funding, most likely through a New York State sponsored loan, with a 30-year repayment period.
As was reported last week, concern about the water from the reservoir seeping back into the distribution system was growing, when it was determined that when the water level in the reservoir falls below the discharge pipes, it can leak back. The New York State Department of Health (DOH) has declared the water in the reservoir to be unsafe to drink. A couple of tests on the water supply showed a higher level of coliform than is acceptable. This required the Water District Supervisor to conduct testing a minimum of 5 days per week and monitor the level of the reservoir to avoid a boil water order.
Currently, the pumping station runs 24 hours a day to supply the system, with excess water being pumped up to the reservoir. A water tower would give the District storage capacity, eliminate the reservoir, and only require the pump station to run when the level in the tower drops down. According to Supervisor Jaeger, this can help offset some of the costs, in energy savings and perhaps extend the lifetime of the pumps.
Cedarwood Engineering of Chestertown, which drafted the grant proposal, will now prepare detailed plans of the project for NYSDOH approval. When the approvals and financing are complete, the Town Board can authorize the work to begin.