Clayton's water systems 'alarming'

CLAYTON — The village, as well as local ratepayers, likely will be spending a lot more on water and sewer services after a new analysis found at least one-fifth of those systems to be in "poor condition."

Mayor Norma J. Zimmer said the findings of the assets management plan, presented Wednesday to the village Board of Trustees, were "alarming."

"We're in trouble," Ms. Zimmer said.

The management plan outlines the values of the village's water and wastewater facilities and equipment, their age, and repair or replacement cycles. The report, drafted by engineers from the Development Authority of the North Country, recommends the village raise more than $130,000 a year — $93,000 for the sewer replacement reserve and $39,000 for water replacement reserve — for future improvement projects.

On top of the list of needed repairs are a $4.7 million wastewater collection system improvement project, an $800,000 water-meter replacement project and a $2 million upgrade for Clayton's 27-year-old water treatment plant.

Carrie A. Tuttle, a DANC engineer, said sewer and water rate increases are inevitable. The projects are too costly for the village to undertake without outside funding, she said, and to get financial assistance, the water and sewer rates must meet the state's "target service rate" by the time an improvement project begins.

"It's a necessary evil," she said.

According to the assets management plan, a single-family household in the village should be paying $1,128 a year for water and sewer service based on state guidelines. Village officials said an average household in Clayton pays about $800 a year for the services.

Ms. Zimmer said any rate increase will be incremental. The village has no plan to increase water and sewer charges to state-recommended levels all at once, she said.

The village also plans to start charging each household differently for its water and sewer use. Instead of charging each household based on its equivalent dwelling unit, the rates will be based on estimated daily use.

Stephanie G. Weiss, assistant director of Save the River, a Clayton-based environmental advocacy group, said she is glad to see the village taking action to upgrade its aging wastewater system.

The village has a 100-year-old combined sewer system, which allows storm water to be treated along with sewage. When the flow is greater than the treatment capacity, the extra combined sewer overflow is discharged into the St. Lawrence River.

Last summer, the village submitted to the state Department of Environmental Conservation a long-term combined sewer overflow plan to divert rainwater from the sewer system and is moving forward with a $130,000 pumping station upgrade to reduce overflows.

Joseph W. Orobona, the village's water and wastewater consultant and a former trustee, said Clayton's water and sewer systems have been neglected for decades and the village must take action as soon as possible to prevent system failures.

"This is a multimillion-dollar operation, but it needs to be done," he said.

Mr. Orobona said many north country municipalities are facing similar problems.