Cairo, County Considers Water Connections - Tied to American Thermostat Site

CAIRO — The possibility of Country Estates in So. Cairo being connected to Catskill municipal water is looking increasingly likely.  At the fourth meeting in as many weeks, representatives from Cairo and Catskill, Greene County, the NYS Department of Health, the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation and the US Environmental Protection Agency talked over the available options, including the EPA paying for the costs of extending the Catskill water main onto the Estates’ property and possibly elsewhere.

At the heart of the matter is the former American Thermostat Company located on Route 23B in Catskill. In 1981, the Thermostat was discovered to be incorrectly disposing of toxic waste containing volatile organic compounds (VOC) including dumping it on the grounds and into sewer drains that discharged into a tributary of the Catskill Creek. Two years later it made the National Priorities List (NPL) of waste sites making it eligible for Federal Superfunds. 

The EPA initiated clean-up of the site including the surface water, groundwater, soil, and the onsite buildings. In 1992, it funded and constructed a 3.5-mile water-main extension from the Village of Catskill down 23B to affected and potentially affected locations including Country Estates. The park owner, at the time, declined an extension onto Estates’ property reportedly citing concerns over passing on water costs to the residents and increased taxes. There was no evidence of contamination at Country Estates until the late 1990s, according to the EPA, which then installed a Point of Entry Treatment system for the two water supply wells there. That POET system has been in continuous operation since then. Water samples are collected every three months, pre-, mid-, and post-treatment and meet DOH and DEC drinking water standards. The next testing is scheduled for September. POETS installed on individual wells in the surrounding area were removed after multiple years of testing for site-related contaminants showed that the concentration of VOCs had decreased to levels meeting DOH public water supply standards. Recipients of those wells had the option of keeping the systems and providing their own maintenance. 

Local concerns were raised recently when the EPA reported that groundwater contaminants at the factory site had remained elevated despite more than 25 years of extracting and cleaning it. At a public meeting held in early July to get community input on the new testing schedule and cleanup plan – one that could take 3-5 years to complete – the audience indicated it wasn’t willing to wait. It wanted a permanent solution: hookup to a municipal water main.

While the EPA has indicated that Country Estates is eligible for funding, it must first complete an analysis of water treatment options. It will also need to complete testing for contamination to see if the lines can be extended elsewhere in that general area. EPA attorneys are also looking into the possibility of using Superfund money to extend water lines to areas with past contamination in contrast to initial reports that it could only be used for wells currently affected. However, even a single extension by the EPA into the Estates would likely be several years down the line due to Federal procurement policies and regulations. 

Local and county officials are not waiting around and are prepping to move forward. In a rather unusual display of inter-municipality cooperation, the towns of Catskill and Cairo have agreed to work together to provide Catskill Village water to Cairo residents. Catskill Town Supervisor Patrick McCulloch is setting up a meeting with Delaware Engineering to design plans for the lateral that will be installed from the water pipe on Route 23B to Country Estates. Those plans must then be approved and submitted to the DOH for additional review and then go out for bid. The entire process, handled locally, would take 10-12 months.

Conversations between Cairo and Catskill on forming a special water district have already begun. Water meters will also need to be installed at each of the 61 homes in the Estates. McCulloch reports that the actual installation of the waterline is unlikely to take more than a week once it’s begun. 

While the Village of Catskill will own and maintain the lines, if the project ends up requiring a short-term bond the responsibility for the debt will be on the Town of Cairo. An early estimate of costs from the DEC ran around $320,000 but local officials believe that figure is high. Minimum cost for municipal water for those special district residents will be the same as for any residents located outside of the Village of Catskill, currently a minimum of $125 per quarter. 

Greene County Administrator Shaun Groden, vocal in his disapproval of any “acceptable” level of site-related contaminant, has been reaching out to state representatives including Senator Hinchey and Congressman Molinaro to see what if any grants are available to offset the costs. At the recent meeting held in the legislative building in Catskill, Groden also asked about the possibility of reimbursement if the municipalities take on the costs of the project to move it along more quickly. EPA representative Joel Singerman, via Zoom, agreed to check with counsel on that possibility.  However, reimbursement will require adherence to “the funders’ procurement policies,” according to Deputy County Administrator Warren Hart.

In the meantime, the DOH reports that recent testing of some private wells “in this area of interest” is negative for site-related contaminants. It is offering testing to additional area residents including those on Scotch Rock Road, some 20+ homes. Cairo Deputy Supervisor Debra Bogins (one of the local officials who, along with the County, pushed for meetings with state and federal agencies) and County Legislator Sherry True requested additional testing amid health concerns reported by So. Cairo residents. Bogins and Cairo Board members Mike Flaherty and Tim Murphy, will be “hitting the ground running,” going door to door with DOH letters giving information to, and asking permission of, residents whose wells may have previously gone untested. There is no charge to homeowners.

In response to questioning, the DOH says it has not done a cancer assessment. A Public Health Assessment was done in 1989 with further review in 1994, however “nothing jumped out.” At the latest meeting, DOH said additional health studies may bear looking into, but later reports indicate there are no current plans. Anyone with “exposure and health issues” should contact Public Health Specialist Angela Martin individually.