City and Town of Poughkeepsie officials are pleased to announce they have secured a $2.9 million state grant to help replace the water treatment facility’s UV disinfection equipment that aids in the purification process.
Working under a joint agreement, the City of Poughkeepsie and Town of Poughkeepsie own and operate the facility, which processes 11 million gallons of water drawn from the Hudson River each day. The municipalities continue to make significant improvements to the plant and other aspects of the water system.
Over the past two decades, the two municipalities have spent approximately $40 million to improve the plant, located within the Marist College campus on property co-owned by the city and the town.
Mayor Rob Rolison said, “We are grateful to the state for coming through with this grant to help us with the costs of this essential project. Water quality and protection are of the utmost importance, and we will continue to use the best technology to make sure the water we take from the Hudson River is safe to drink.”
Town of Poughkeepsie Supervisor Jon Baisley said, “This project will go a long way to improving the water treatment facility, and these are the type of public investments that are imperative to make -- helping to purify the drinking water originating from the Hudson River.”
Poughkeepsies’ Joint Water Board recommended certain improvements to the facility, including replacement of UV disinfection equipment. Water officials say repair parts for the old system will no longer be available within the next few years
In April 2019, the Common Council and Town Board approved the replacement of the system.
The project is already under construction and will be completed in 2023. The state funds are coming from the Environmental Facilities Corporation, which recently announced $638 million in grants to municipalities and public authorities for nearly 200 water infrastructure projects across the state.
The city and town are funding the rest of the $4.291 million project, and the new design is also projected to save $90,000 annually in electric costs.
To find out more about the water system and to see a video on how Poughkeepsie water flows, go to www.pokwater.com/373/Water-System.