Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

WHY IS A TREATMENT PLANT NEEDED?

QUESTION: What is the Haverstraw Water Supply Project?

ANSWER: The proposed project includes a water intake pumping station that would draw water from the Hudson River and would be located on an unused piece of property owned by United States Gypsum.

Water would be piped inland to a permanent treatment plant on a reclaimed portion of the former landfill. There the water would be treated using state-of-the-art technology that would produce purified water to be sent to United Water’s distribution system, while the wastewater and brine would be disposed of at the Haverstraw Joint Regional Sewage Treatment Plant.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Why do we need more water?

ANSWER: New York State law requires United Water to provide a safe, reliable supply of drinking water to its customers in Rockland County. The requirement includes a New York State Public Service Commission order to develop a long-term water supply solution. The development of this supply and the filing of a Draft Environmental impact Statement comply with requirements in the order, which included a Joint Proposal.

Signatories to the Joint Proposal (United Water New York, New York State Public Service Commission staff, the County of Rockland, the Town of Ramapo, Rockland County Fire Chiefs Association, Assemblywoman (former Legislator) Ellen Jaffee and others) have agreed upon projected future demand requirements, the need for a long-term water supply and have set milestones for United Water to increase supply to keep pace with demand. To date, United Water has met all milestones under the Joint Proposal and has agreed to develop a long-term water supply project that will boost the company’s supply by December 31, 2015.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Why can’t you just build more reservoirs?

ANSWER: New reservoirs are very expensive to build, use up valuable open space, can have significant environmental impacts and are vulnerable to droughts. A treatment plant that would draw water from the Hudson River and purify it will let us more reliably provide water for our customers. This new water source would provide a more sustainable and resilient supply of water.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Why can’t we increase conservation to ensure we have enough water?

ANSWER: Thanks in part to conservation-minded Rockland County customers, we have been able to delay the need to find a further water supply. However, conservation measures United Water and its customers have undertaken in recent years, no longer eliminate the need for additional water to offset the increasing demand caused by Rockland County’s growing population. State officials have ordered the company to identify and develop new sources to satisfy the demand.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Rockland County seems to be threatened by droughts, but things always work out. Isn’t this treatment plant an overreaction?

ANSWER: Rockland County’s population has grown much faster than its water supply and continued development is expected in the future. This means Rockland’s residents face a growing risk of more frequent and more severe water shortages, especially during droughts. Conservation alone will not be enough to offset the increased demand for water created by a larger population. A new source of water is needed to ensure that Rockland County always has a safe, reliable water supply.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Why is this better option than the Ambrey Pond project? Why has United Water abandoned Ambrey?

ANSWER: United Water has not abandoned the Ambrey Pond project. The Ambrey project is still viable, although engineering analyses have determined that a water treatment facility that would purify water drawn from the Hudson is the better option for several reasons:

-It would be significantly less expensive than the Ambrey project. -It is more resilient, as it is not subject to the same weather conditions as a new reservoir.
-It is a more environmentally sustainable solution. Ambrey Pond would require a new dam and reservoir which, for environmental reasons, is no longer the preferred solution for water suppliers. In fact, the DEC has not permitted a dam in New York State in decades.

We believe our plan to construct a permanent water-treatment plant represents the best solution for providing long-range supply of drinking water to Rockland County.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Since the new treatment plant is going to be built in Haverstraw, won't it only benefit residents there?

ANSWER: No. United Water’s distribution system in Rockland County is interconnected, so the new plant will benefit all of our customers.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Will United Water have to build expensive pipes to get the water to the western side of the county?

ANSWER: United Water already operates major transmission mains that transport water from one side of the county to the other. We also have pipelines that let us transfer water from our Ramapo Valley well field to the eastern side of the county. A key criterion for selecting the location of the treatment facility is proximity to these east-west water mains. We will need to install some new pipes to connect the plant to the existing system, but that will not be an extensive amount of work.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: When will construction start? When will the plant start service?

ANSWER: Construction is scheduled to start in late 2013. It will take about 18 months to build and is scheduled to be in service by the end of 2015.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Aren't you just looking for a new supply because it will lead to more profits for the company?

ANSWER: United Water is a private company, but its operations are regulated and the rates it charges its customers are set by the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC). In order to promote conservation and business efficiency, the PSC establishes revenue targets for the company. If the company’s revenues exceed the target, customers are credited. If the company’s revenues don’t meet the target, there is a mechanism that allows the company to recover the targeted amount.

United Water, as a regulated utility, generates revenue through the sale of water. The price of the water is set to generate enough revenue to cover operating costs and a return on infrastructure investments. Since the proposed Haverstraw Water Supply Project is less expensive to build than other projects, the increase in the price of the water would be less.

The company is proceeding with a less expensive alternative because it has both a moral and legal obligation to spend customer funds prudently, even if that negatively impacts profits.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Aren't you taking a political position by welcoming growth and development in the county?

ANSWER: United Water is bound by a rate order issued by the New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) to construct a major water supply facility. This rate order is consistent with public service laws and regulations that require us to provide sufficient water to meet the drinking water and fire service needs of its service area.

As a private company, United Water plays no role in municipal land-use decisions.

[BACK TO TOP]

WATER QUALITY AND SAFETY

QUESTION: Does drinking Hudson River water pose risks to human health?

ANSWER: Any water delivered by United Water will be subject to science-based health regulations and must meet or exceed the standards for drinking water set forth by the state health department and the federal Environmental Protection Agency. By government mandate, water providers must demonstrate the effectiveness of the treatments that they intend to use before one drop of water can be delivered from any source. Unless our regulatory agencies consider it safe, it won’t be delivered.

Thanks to the good work of environmentalists and the State of New York, the Hudson River is cleaner than it has been in decades, and with advanced technology we will be able to provide Rockland customers with a new water supply that is pure and absolutely safe to drink.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: How do we know this treatment approach is safe? Where else have you used this technology?

ANSWER: The proposed Haverstraw Water Supply Project will include a standard treatment facility, much like those in use in United Water locations nationwide, including the Lake Deforest treatment plant in West Nyack. The proposed treatment facility will also include reverse osmosis membranes, so that salt and other compounds can be removed from the water.

Reverse osmosis is not a new technology. In fact, it has been used for more than 40 years and has a proven history. It is used widely in the military, on cruise ships and is found on Caribbean islands like Aruba. Reverse osmosis and desalination technology is used in water treatment plants in many areas of the country, including New Jersey, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas and California.

There are more than 1,300 desalination facilities in the United States. The largest one ever proposed for the Western Hemisphere, a 50 million gallon per day plant that will be built near San Diego, was approved during 2008.

United Water has applied similar technology to treatment plants in Pennsylvania and Delaware and our parent company, Suez Environnement operates a number of desalination facilities located throughout the world. United Water New York will benefit from this past experience as we review and test the various specific approaches that are available.

Most importantly, whatever we do will be subject to strict standards for drinking water that are established and enforced by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and the New York State and Rockland County health departments.
[BACK TO TOP]

HOW WILL THE PLANT WORK?

QUESTION: How will the new treatment plant work?

ANSWER: The Haverstraw Water Supply Project will use a combination of traditional filtration systems similar to those used at our existing Rockland County facilities with the additional use of reverse osmosis, a membrane barrier that will remove salt and other compounds. For further information about the process, click here.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: What is reverse osmosis?

ANSWER: Reverse osmosis is a process where dissolved compounds such as salt are filtered out of water. The water is passed through a semi-permeable membrane that looks like an air conditioning filter with very tiny holes. Only pure water is able to pass through the filter.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: What would happen if the plant breaks down or fails during a blackout? Would we be without water?

ANSWER: The plant will have significant operational redundancy and backup power, so if something should fail, customers should not see any decrease in service. There will also be enough backup generators to run the plant in the event of a blackout. United Water’s water portfolio in Rockland includes about 60 groundwater wells and water treatment facilities at Lake DeForest and Letchworth Village that provide further redundancy if the Hudson River treatment plant ever needs to suspend service temporarily.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Will the plant strain our energy resources?

ANSWER: No. If we had to treat true ocean water, the water would be very salty and the process would be energy intensive. But Hudson River water near Rockland is about 1/9 as salty as seawater, so the energy requirements to treat the water will be significantly lower. We are also looking at energy-efficient equipment we could use in the plant and the incorporation of “green” design practices to reduce energy consumption.
[BACK TO TOP]

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

QUESTION: How does the environmental review process work?

ANSWER: A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) has been submitted to the New York State Department of Public Service, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and other governmental agencies. It was prepared by United Water and leading engineering and environmental consulting firms in accordance with the New York State Environmental Quality Review Act (SEQRA) and details the company’s plans to build the Haverstraw Water Supply Project. The SEQRA process provides for an examination of the environmental, social, and economic effects of a proposed action as well as opportunities for public review and input.

Once the document is considered adequate for public review, a Notice of Completion and request for public comment will be published by the DEC. The publication of the Notice of Completion starts the public comment period.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: What is a pilot study and why do we need one? Shouldn’t the pilot study be subject to a full environmental review?

ANSWER: United Water has proposed a temporary pilot study that would help the company to identify the best combination of treatment processes that we would use in the permanent facility. Although the plant is not a necessary step in developing a permanent project, pilot studies like the one conducted for United Water’s Haworth treatment facility in Haworth, New Jersey, are considered best practice in the water treatment industry by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The temporary pilot will be used for research purposes and would be significantly smaller than the permanent plant and therefore, according to state environmental regulations, not subject to environmental review.

We believe that our customers would want us to conduct a pilot study because it will help to optimize the processes we would use in a permanent facility, help reduce costs BEFORE proceeding with a permanent plant and would demonstrate that water can be successfully drawn from the Hudson and purified to meet or exceed all drinking water standards.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: Will the treatment plant harm the river?

ANSWER: We will take precautions to avoid harming the river and its ecosystem. The water will be withdrawn from the river in a way that will minimize adverse impacts on fish and other organisms and the total amount of water withdrawn from the river will be minimal.
[BACK TO TOP]

QUESTION: What happens to the harmful materials you take out of the water to make it drinkable? Won’t you just create more environmental problems when you try to dispose of them?

ANSWER: The proposed treatment process will remove salt and other materials such as silt, metals and organic chemicals. The salt can be returned to the river during high tide or could be processed by the Haverstraw Joint Regional Sewage Treatment Plant (HJRSTP). In this way, the concentration of salt in the discharge will be less than the salt concentration naturally occurring in the river. The other materials will go to the HJRSTP where they will be treated and disposed of in compliance with that plant’s requirements and according to all environmental and health regulations.
[BACK TO TOP]

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Related Links