After securing additional federal funding, Fulton County is beginning expansions to the Great Sacandaga Lake sewer system.
The first phase of expansion will be funded with $2 million from the American Rescue Plan Act.
This initial expansion, from Mayfield to Gloversville, is expected to cost closer to $10 million – with $8 million in ARPA dollars already earmarked. Fulton County Planning Director Scott Henze said this new funding is just what officials needed to get the ball rolling.
“Last year, I believe it was, I submitted for funding through Congresswoman Stefanik to continue funding for this Route 30 sewer district. So, obviously we have been awarded that and, you know, the plan essentially would be to continue from where this first phase is and continue moving north toward Northville,” said Henze.
The entire expansion carries an anticipated $30 million price tag, roughly $1 million per mile.
According to Henze, the current effort to incorporate smaller municipalities into the existing joint Johnstown-Gloversville water treatment system has been years in the works.
“Rather than going out in the county just building a waste water treatment plant or something like that was really OK, based upon the existing water and sewer infrastructure, how can we use those resources that are already there? And really it’s a consolidation and a sharing of services initiative than anything,” explained Henze.
Democratic Gloversville Mayor Vincent DeSantis says the expansion is a win-win.
“It really benefits the county totally because you know, there’s a limited amount of development that can happen up there because they’re right near the lakes and you have to have a sewage treatment facility for there to be any kind of major development up there—it opens the door to a lot of that. It also benefits Gloversville and Johnstown because the treatment facility needs the extra input because it has greater capacity than what it’s handling now,” said Desantis.
DeSantis estimates that his city only uses 20% of the facility’s current capacity.
He contends the project needs to be deliberate and future-oriented; expansion at the cost of environmental preservation is not an option.
“So I’m sure eventually it’ll happen; we’ll get the whole thing done. But all these good things take time and you just do it in stages as best we can,” said DeSantis.
Mayfield Supervisor Brandon Lehr says the expansion is far more cost-effective than upgrading their current, aging treatment plant.
“So, by connecting to the village and having the pumping station here, that’s going to eliminate a potential major expense down the road for the village: putting in a new treatment plant. Also, it obviously is going to open up the Route 30 corridor for us to further development for commercial businesses that hopefully we can attract to the area,” said Lehr.
With contract negotiations still ongoing, Henze anticipates construction to begin in June.
