State lawmakers applaud state’s $2.5 million contribution
By Zachary Matson
The village of Tupper Lake inched closer to funding a planned new water filtration plant this month after state officials announced a nearly $2.5 million grant to support the project.
Fixing the multiple problems with water is estimated to cost around $9 million, said village mayor Mary Fontana. The latest state funding brings the village to around $7.4 million secured.
Tupper Lake plans to shift its municipal water source back to Tupper Lake surface water just five years after moving to wells at the urging of the state, because iron-rich soils near the groundwater source have caused significant water discoloration for some users.
This summer the village tested a new filtration system to treat water pulled directly from Tupper Lake and is currently working with engineers on design plans by this summer.
Tupper Lake’s water woes
The Village of Tupper Lake plans to switch its water source back to the lake.
The new system will require a complete overhaul at the old water treatment plant on Maddox Lane. Fontana said she hopes the construction project can be financed without requiring a major contribution from local users.
“We are very, very close,” Fontana said. “We would like to replace their water supply without burdening the taxpayer further.”
Residents have grown frustrated with brownish water and separate concerns about carcinogenic treatment byproducts in the community’s Simon Pond water source. They detailed their concerns at public meetings with state and local elected leaders this summer.
Sen. Dan Stec, R-Queensbury, and Assemblymember Billy Jones, D-Chateaugay Lake, in a joint statement applauded the state grant for what Stec called a “transformative project.”
“Tupper Lake residents need clean water now, and the $2.5 million awarded by [the Department of Health] is the first step to fixing this issue,” Jones said.
For several years back in the late 20th century I supplied water treatment chemicals to the Village of Tupper Lake. At that time both the Lake Simond Pond and the Raquette Pond plants used pressure filters coated with diatomaceous earth (D.E.) to remove suspended solids from raw water followed by disinfection with sodium hypochlorite solution.
Since D.E. filters do not remove dissolved organic compounds these substances will react with the dissolved chlorine and break down to form simpler compounds, called disinfection by-products (abbreviated DBPs), like trihalomethanes (chloroform being one of them) and haloacetic acids (which are derivatives of acetic acid, the active ingredient in vinegar). Although D.E. filters provide highly polished water, high raw-water turbidity drastically reduces run times with a corresponding drop in production.
While I recall that space is limited at the Lake Simond Pond filtration plant, direct filtration with the addition of a coagulant should be evaluated; this method of filtration combined with pre-treatment using a non-chlorine oxidizer like sodium permanganate will significantly reduce DBP formation. UV treatment of the filtered water before chlorination will reduce the amount of chlorine necessary to meet state-mandated contact time which will further reduce DBP formation. Lake Placid Village uses direct filtration.
For dissolved iron at the wells green sand filters combined with potassium permanganate regeneration is very effective at removing dissolved iron. The Clifton Park Water Authority has used this treatment method at its Boyack Road well source with acceptable results.
Water treatment should use as few chemicals as possible for effective treatment which means using the cleanest water sources available. Raquette Pond which has many characteristics of a river (because it is part of the Raquette River!) would be at the bottom of my list.
In the meantime, potable water customers should not use chlorine bleach or detergents containing hydrogen peroxide since these substances will react with the dissolved ferrous iron and precipitate insoluble ferric iron out of solution. For clothes or linens that are already iron-stained, Iron-Out or Red-B-Gone added to the laundry in the rinse cycle (two cycles minimum) will convert the insoluble ferric iron to soluble ferrous iron and may remove part or all of the stain(s).
Additional and helpful information on water treatment can be found in the “See also” paragraph at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_treatment (Wikipedia).
Finally, I was saddened to read that Joe Cormier passed away; I became acquainted with Joe when I delivered water treatment chemicals to the Village. Joe was a good man – a big man with a big heart. My sincerest condolences to his family.
Charles F. Heimerdinger
Grade III water treatment plant operator (Tennessee), certificate 18114
Grade II wastewater treatment plant operator (Tennessee), certificate 18114
Charles, from our family thank you very much, someone sent me this article. I am Joe’s son, and I remember him speaking about you a lot growing up! He definitely touched many lives and is missed dearly. I currently work for the water department I took his place when he retired! Hope all is well with you!
I hope all is well with you too Joe. I appreciated your reply.