GLENVILLE — Work will begin in coming weeks on a nearly $500,000 upgrade that will give the town’s municipal wells additional protection from Mohawk River flooding.
The Town Board on Wednesday approved contracts with Bellamy Construction of Glenville and Spring Electric of Averill Park for the work, which will include raising the tops of the town’s two wells above the flood plain, building a berm around the water treatment plant to protect against flooding, and raising the height of the access road to the town’s water treatment plant.
The work should all be finished this summer, town officials said.
“This resolution will protect the town’s water supply," said Town Board member Gina Wierzbowski.
“It gives me chills to think how close we came to losing our town’s water supply."
The historic 2011 storms damaged Glenville’s water treatment plant and came within a few vertical feet of contaminating the wells, according to a 2013 town report.
In 2015, then-state Sen. Hugh T. Farley, R-Niskayuna, helped the town secure a $250,000 state grant to help pay for the work.
Securing that money, and then doing the detailed engineering design work, has taken until now, said Town Supervisor Chris Koetzle.
The other $250,000 to pay for the work will come from water department capital reserves, Koetzle said.
The town water system has about 6,500 water customers, including some in Ballston and Charlton Reach Daily Gazette reporter Stephen Williams at 518-395-3086, swilliams@dailygazette.net or @gazettesteve on Twitter.