Rockland's stinky water: Suez vows upgrades amid protest - Lohud

Robert Brum and Nancy Cutler Rockland/Westchester Journal News

Published 9:15 PM EST Nov 15, 2019

WEST NYACK — Rockland's main water supplier plans to upgrade its treatment system following taste and odor problems, but those changes won't become reality soon enough to shut down the anger that triggered a protest Friday.

Suez Water New York will add powdered activated carbon and ozone to the Lake DeForest reservoir, which supplies water for about 100,000 Rockland customers. This system would take about two years to be approved and constructed, said Bill Madden, the company's director of external affairs.

The company deployed copper sulfate to combat the algae bloom blamed for the current issues, which are now abating, the company said. Madden described the additives as safe and "the industry standard."

The measures came in response to the outcry about what the company described as the “earthy taste and odor” of water coming from the reservoir that chiefly supplies Clarkstown and Orangetown.

Suez and the Rockland County Health Department have said the water is safe to drink. Independent testing by the state Department of Health, which stepped in this week following a request by state Sen. David Carlucci, also confirmed the water meets standards and is safe, Madden said. Testing for algae toxin and two types of bacteria found no detectable levels.

'Suez Stinks' protest

The company's response did little to placate the anger that bubbled to the surface during Friday's protest. About a dozen customers demanded Suez provide a drinkable product and pay them back for the bottled water they've been forced to buy. Madden said Suez is not considering such a refund.

Chanting "Hey ho, hey ho, the stinky water's got to go" and holding signs and plastic water bottles, the protesters stood along West Nyack Road and vented their frustration over problems they say go deeper than the latest occurrence.

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"My water's horrible and even if they claim it's safe to drink, why would anyone want to drink water that tastes like dirt?" said Audrey Domenick of Blauvelt.

She called the state's decision to step in and test the water "a step in the right direction."

Rate hike request

The protest organized by the grassroots group Suez Stinks also assailed Suez's 18.65% rate increase request that's before the state Public Service Commission. A previous report by the New York State Comptroller stated that Suez charged the highest average monthly rate in the state.

Organizer Kristy Engels said the water at her Piermont home started turning yellow and brown three weeks ago.

"For the last month I've refused to drink the water coming out of the tap. It's terrible," she said.

Engels questioned Suez's need for a rate hike and wants more information about how much money it was investing into remedies for the water quality.

"It feels like anytime they need to do something because a consumer complaint is happening, that they're looking for the customers to bear the cost of it instead of actually spending and digging into their profit lines to invest in improvement," she said.

Madden countered her assertion about the company's investment in improvements, saying Suez's rate filing contained more than $300 million in infrastructure upgrades.

He said Engels is among a group of customers who have been invited to a private information session and tour of the treatment plant next week.

Runoff pollution

Lake DeForest's algae bloom was caused by hot, dry weather, naturally occurring compounds and runoff containing pollution from nutrients like lawn fertilizer, Madden said.

A 300-foot buffer around the lake provides protection from pollutants, and he said Suez was working with local officials to address unauthorized encroachment on the company's property.

The company's reservoir management program includes visual observations, sample collection and water quality monitoring that regularly measures algae levels and other elements, Madden said. Other parts of the program include fencing, inspections and regular communication with local police agencies. 

Environmental activist George Potanovic said cutting down on runoff was a responsibility shared by Suez, enforcement agencies and the public, but added: "The company has a responsibility to protect its own product. I don't often see them talking about that, how development along any of their tributaries might eventually affect" the water supply.

Potanovic, of Stony Point, said Suez needed to do more to advocate for water conservation and protection.

"If we have to now add more chemicals to offset these problems, we’re kind of not going in the right direction," he said. "We need to do what we can from the source to reduce the chemical impact on our water quality."

One water institute paper, by David C. Richardson and Heather L. Wander of the SUNY New Paltz biology department, recommended that managers of water resources consider both nitrogen and phosphorus management strategies for algea blooms, especially with a rapidly changing climate. Longer dry periods would make algae blooms more commonplace.

Twitter: @nancyrockland

Read more coverage on this topic:

SUEZ: 'Earthy' water is safe to drink

ROCKLAND: Stinky water spurs plans to protest Suez, the county's largest supplier

SUEZ: Water bills would rise for most customers in new rate request

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