West Nyack, NY, Jan 10, 2008, 9:00 AM
Company officials reported today that in 2007 United Water successfully delivered on over $32 million in investments on behalf of its more than 70,000 Rockland County customers and proposes an additional $23.5 million for 2008.
“We can reflect on the past year proudly,” said vice president and general manager Michael Pointing. “These capital improvements increase the reliability, efficiency and safety of our system. We have made significant upgrades to our infrastructure, developed greater water sources to ensure Rockland’s water supply is protected in the short-term and presented a viable solution to long-term water issues.”
The investments of the past year underscore the company’s philosophy of providing value for money to its customers. Some key improvements include:
Installation of two electric generators at Lake Deforest that will facilitate full use of the plant during periods of power outages.
Replacement of nearly 10,000 feet of main in Haverstraw
Increased supply at Letchworth Treatment Plant from 1 to 3 million gallons per day.
Improved and rehabilitated existing wells, adding over 1.7 million gallons of water per day to the Rockland County water supply.
Began construction of Sparkill well project in Tappan, eventually adding 600,000 gallons of water per day to the Rockland County water supply
Cleaned and lined 5,000 feet of main in Blauvelt, improving water quality and fire flows
The Village of New Square will benefit from main replacement and dead-end closures, resulting in improved fire flows.
“We continue to solidify our commitment to improving fire flows, pressure and water quality in areas of our system that need it most and ensuring that we have adequate supply for our growing customer base,” said Pointing.
Long-term Solutions
At the end of September, the company submitted plans to the New York State Public Service Commission outlining a conceptual design of a state-of-the-art desalination facility on the Hudson River. The plant would treat up to 7.5 million gallons of river water per day and will ensure that Rockland customers have a long term water supply solution by the end of 2015.
“The Hudson River provides a sustainable, nearly drought-free supply of treatable water,” Pointing said. “The technology we will use will result in potable water of the highest quality and will greatly help to solve future water supply issues.”
Continued Commitments
This year promises to be an equally exciting one, as an additional investment of $23.5 million is proposed. The company will continue infrastructure upgrades and develop additional sources of supply for both immediate needs and the long-term, all the while providing exceptional value to customers:
In Ramapo, installation of the Summit Park tank project, an investment of $2.6 million in 2008, will greatly increase pressure and fire flows to the Hillcrest area.
Development of further water sources in the amount of $5.9 million, increasing existing well supplies by 3.9 million gallons of water per day.
Distribution and infrastructure investments of over $13 million and water treatment of over $4 million.
“We look ahead to 2008 with great optimism and an emphasis on delivering on new commitments and improved service and communications,” said Pointing.
About United Water
United Water provides water and wastewater services to 7.7 million people in the United States, including more than 270,000 people in Rockland and parts of Orange County. In addition to owning and operating 21 regulated utilities, United Water operates 145 municipal systems through public-private partnerships and contract agreements including four of the nation's largest water and wastewater contracts. Founded in 1869, United Water is a subsidiary of the SUEZ ENVIRONNEMENT division of the SUEZ Group.
Customers may receive more information by contacting United Water at 845.623.1500, by e-mail at uwnycustomerservice@unitedwater.