After move from lake to well water, Tupper Lake looks to switch back
By Zachary Matson
The village of Tupper Lake plans to shift its municipal water source back to Tupper Lake surface water just five years after moving to wells, a slow-moving transition set to unfold in the face of widespread community concern about carcinogens and discoloration.
The village this summer tested a new filtration system to treat water pulled directly from Tupper Lake and is currently working with engineers to scale up the filtration approach with an overhaul of an old water treatment plant on Maddox Lane.
But that fix, which is partly funded with nearly $5 million in state support and estimated to cost around $9 million total, could still be years away from providing residents with surface water again.
Meanwhile, residents are sharing pictures of yellow and brown water, fearing carcinogenic chlorine treatment byproducts and growing frustrated with communication from local and state officials.
“We keep sending them pictures and contacting them all and trying to not let up on them,” said Lori Wilson, who created a Facebook page that has served as a repository of water complaints.
Village leaders have said they are hearing the complaints and working to remedy the problem. Residents over the summer shared concerns directly with lawmakers for the region, Sen. Dan Stec and Assemblyman Billy Jones.
Like other communities, Tupper Lake over the past decade faced a decision: upgrade its surface water treatment plant or switch to a groundwater source. The state offered more funding to move to groundwater, so the community drilled wells. Within less than two years, though, that water started to turn brown and yellow for many users – the result of an interaction with iron in the ground. State health officials say the water is still safe to drink, but it is not meeting water clarity standards. The wells also do not draw enough water to meet Tupper Lake demand.
Separately, water from Simon Pond, a source the village treats with chlorine, comes with a warning that it contains chlorine byproducts above state standards. Exposure to the treatment byproducts over decades can elevate health risks, including cancer.
“I don’t cook or drink with it,” Wilson said of her water.
Garrett Kopp owns Tupper Lake-based company Birch Boys and relies on quality water to make tinctures distributed across the country. The business is growing and so is Kopp’s need for water. He said at times he has cleared out local stores of bottles of distilled water or filled a holding tank with water drawn from nearby freshwater springs. In the long run, he hopes to install a filtration system and use the public water he pays for.
“This isn’t right. We should definitely be able to use the municipal water supply,” Kopp said. “I pay a monthly water bill, it would be nice to be able to use it.”
Val DeGrace, who works as a teacher’s aide in local schools, said she doesn’t trust the public water and goes through water filters at an alarming pace. She said gunk builds around the faucets if she doesn’t clean it regularly and fears long term exposure could be a health risk.
“I can’t even give my grandkids a bath when they get here,” DeGrace said.
Mary Fontana takes over as mayor Dec. 1. She said outgoing mayor Paul Mauron has done a lot of work to advance the solution but acknowledged it will still take more time and money to see it through. Fontana said she planned to focus on improving communications with residents and empathized with the experiences of poor water quality.
“If the water is coming out of your tap and is brown in color and smells like rotten eggs, you are not going to drink that water, not going to bathe your kids in it, not going to give it to your pets,” Fontana said. “It is the primary issue this community faces.”
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The iron can be removed from water using a sand filtration system. Parts of Vermont have the same issue. Although, the state is expensive.
I had to read this like 3 times. Why did they switch off the well water. What was wrong with that water.? You left that part out I think?
The current problem is with the well water. They switched away from the lake as a source. Usually, surface water has issues with bacterial contamination that is also expensive to treat. The problem with wells is that the water quality can change when the draw is excessive, or just as the water-table shifts. Often no way to predict it. Well water (from deep wells) is usually relatively “clean” WRT bacterial/viral sources.
Thanks. I see that now after you straightened me out! I am surprised they can’t get a good well source over there. Other towns have had pretty good luck. racquette lake for example. It’s funny how saranac lake got a good well next to the river near the sewage treatment plant. I think I maybe would have preferred brownish water from McKenzie pond! I guess you gotta modernize. Lake source is a good option just need the right filters. They will figure it out. People should relax this water for a little while isn’t gonna hurt them.
Sounds like quantity and quality of thought should have been put into this move and it apparently was not.
Apparently appropriate preinstallation testing was not done and what a waste of time, money and effort.
Someone needs to pay-like maybe an engineering company or whomever prepared the plan.
Taxpayer money is routinely and regularly wasted.
Treatment and quantity should be function of a feasibility study and would/should have predicted this result.
I wish I had more details, especially the early planning.
What a shame and residents being left disappointed.
Don’t the companies they pay all sorts of money to have some sort of guarantee?
The problem isn’t (mainly) with being disappointed with the water color or smell and it’s not something that we can relax over. This is a major health concern for us. We have received quarterly notices in the mail, for probably 20 years or more, telling us that our water has failed tests for chemicals that can cause cancer or other health problems. It also states that it shouldn’t be a concern unless it’s been like 30 years or so. But hey, how long have we been living with it like that?!? When my husband had cancer, most of the people we saw at chemo treatments were from Tupper Lake. So many people here have it that it’s unreal. There are many other health issues that are high here too. It’s a bad situation.
Doesn’t sound like a great place to live right now. Try Saranac Lake! I’m just kidding. Good luck, I hope they sort it out soon. Some places you just can’t use well water w/o a in-house filtration system (especially to get rid of things like sulphur smell that isn’t bad for you just gross). But it’s expensive. You may not have a good option? Sorry about this.
The New York State Health Dept. has for years pushed for the elimination of surface water supplies and switching to well water. They will cite bacterial and turbidity concerns. But ground water in the Tupper Lake region has a high probability of containing iron. Remember the iron mine in Star Lake. It seems contradictory that the turbidity and odor problems that come with iron bearing water do not concern them, it can be removed with chlorination and filtration. Yes and so can bacterial concerns, often with less chlorine. Monroe County filters more water in an hour than Tupper Lake would filter in several days. All the water comes from Lake Ontario. The City of Rochester gets its water from Hemlock Lake, an ideal source in a well protected watershed. Both treatment plants offer economy of scale that will not be possible on the smaller size of a Tupper Lake system.
Where an information for a formal bid or contact with the Client could be found?
I work for a company who can help with the design and fabrication of the filtration system with pressurized steel vessels and filtration material (Electromedia) and automation of the system operation.
Thank you for your kind cooperation!
Filtronics Inc.
Irvine, CA 92606