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Undeniably, fall is upon us. Despite the warm weather the leaves around Katonah are a brilliant array of color. Many of us who garden have been acutely aware of the recent drought. This brings to our attention how important water is to our community. In this newsletter we will have an update on the water issues facing Katonah, how they are being dealt with and how we can all help.  |
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Water Watch KVIS was fortunate to have our Town Supervisor, Lee Roberts; Jeff Osterman, the Town Planner; Town Engineer Jim Hahn; and Kevin Winn, Commissioner of Public Works, address our October 22nd meeting. They outlined the water problems facing Katonah, and the Town of Bedford's response, both long and short term. Very briefly (more to follow), the biggest issues are obtaining potable water and dealing with effluent. Improving the quality of our surface water is also important, and obviously related. DRINKING WATER: While it was stressed that our current water supply meets all federal standards for drinking water, with increased development has come an increase in nitrates and other pollutants in the groundwater aquifer. This problem is particularly acute where population is dense. Long term, Bedford would like to connect with shaft 13 of the NYCDEP Delaware Aqueduct near the Route 35 NYCDEP building. The NYCDEP Deleware supply system is a high quality surface water system, with a pristine, well protected watershed. A filtration plant, which could be unobtrusively disguised as an old barn, would then need to be built near this location. Existing piping could be utilized, keeping the total projected cost at around $15 million dollars. This would most likely be funded by a bond which would cost the average water district customer in Katonah about $350 dollars per year per household. However, this should increase property values in the water district, offsetting the expense. Additional funding can be sought by the town in the form of grants for green building. A three month pilot study is scheduled to begin in 2 weeks. The connection could be made as soon as 2009, depending on the timing of required construction by NYCDEP, and the development of engineering plans and legal agreements between the Town and NYCDEP. In the short term, if our groundwater supply quality deteriorates, solutions that have been explored include the possibility of drilling new wells. additional treatment of existing wells, and connecting to neighboring water supply systems through existing infrastructure. These solutions can and will provide a continued supply of potable water until a long term solution can be implemented. WASTEWATER: Wastewater is an environmental issue, particularly in town where population is dense and lot size often is not sufficient to to accommodate adequate septic fields. It is important to note that even a well maintained septic system does not prevent nitrates from entering the aquifer. The most effective way to decrease nitrate pollution would be to install a sewer system in the hamlets of Katonah and Bedford Hills, where population is most dense. The town would like to be able to connect to and expand the sewage treatment plant at the correctional facility in Bedford Hills. Due to the proximity of of the facility to a NYC water supply reservoirs, current regulations do not allow for the construction or expansion of a wastewater treatment plant in Bedford. NYCDEP has proposed modifying their regulations in order to address the problems in communities such as Bedford. It is anticipated that the regulations will be modified within 18 months. Once the modifications occur, Bedford will need to determine what is necessary to meet the requirements of the revised regulations create a sewer district, obtain funding for the project, design and construct a sewage collection system, and either modify the Bedford Correctional Facility wastewater plant or construct a new plant. The cost of a sewer system and a plant is expected to be around $60 million dollars. It is expected that Bedford will receive about $10 million dollars towards the wastewater project from funds allocated to Northern Westchester by NYC to protect the NYC watershed in this region. STORM WATER RUNOFF: The newly released Croton Watershed Plan makes (but does not fund) a number of recommendations - many of which Bedford has already implemented; such as placing limits on development and impervious surfaces. It also recommends reducing the amount of chemical fertilizer and particulate in runoff. Bedford encourages the use of storm water detention basins, which are trenches or ponds to allow the water to sit and be filtered by the soil. KVIS will continue to advocate for solutions and keep the community informed on these important issues. |
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news@kvis.us The Katonah Village Improvement Society is a non- profit civic organization whose mission is to support projects that enhance the quality of life in our hamlet, promote civic pride, and preserve the history and traditions of Katonah. KVIS meets on the fourth Monday of every month, except December, July and August. Meetings are held at 7:30 pm at the Katonah Village Library and are open to the public. |
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