JOHNSTOWN — Fulton County officials on Monday praised the two latest 40-year intermunicipal agreements passed by the Board of Supervisors to spread water and sewer services across the county.
“The SMART Waters initiative is an absolute historic accomplishment,” county Administrative Officer Jon Stead told the Board of Supervisors at the County Office Building.
The board on Monday authorized intermunicipal agreements with the village of Broadalbin and the city of Johnstown. SMART Waters has been an ongoing program by the county the last few years to extend water and sewer services outside the Glove Cities to further development in the county.
A resolution approved by the board authorizes use of the village of Broadalbin’s wastewater treatment plant.
On June 8, the Broadalbin Village Board approved the agreement. The agreement has the village provide some of the excess capacity at its Broadalbin Wastewater Treatment Plant to treat wastewater coming from county District No. 2 in Vail Mills.
Within 12 months of county approval, the county must pay for some preliminary design work. The county Planning Department has proposed a 2019 capital project of $25,000 for a preliminary engineering report that will be done on the village wastewater plant.
The Broadalbin Wastewater Treatment Plant can treat up to 150,000 gallons per day of wastewater flow. The plan is to expand that to 225,000 gallons per day in a first phase project. The village charges users in the district the in-village rates and fees.
The Board of Supervisors on Monday also approved a 40-year intermunicipal agreement with the city of Johnstown and the Johnstown Water Board. The Johnstown Common Council approved the agreement on June 11. The agreement has the city supply up to 200,000 gallons per day of excess water to Fulton County for it to utilize anywhere in the county.
Stead said the lack of availability of water and sewer has been a major stumbling block to growth in New York’s communities.
“Its been an impediment for all of the counties across New York state,” he said.
Stead said the Fulton County Board of Supervisors can be proud of its SMART Waters “accomplishments.”
Gloversville 5th Ward Supervisor Gregory Young also commented “how great this is” for other users of the county’s Route 67 water district, such as HFM BOCES and Fulton-Montgomery Community College, because it effects their water rates positively. He said any new activity in the district will help “reduce the overall operating costs” of the district.
