Thursday, June 17, 2021

Water Update

Apparently, the whereabouts of the errant pig is still unknown, but water is now making its way from the reservoir in Churchtown to the water treatment plant here in Hudson. At the request of Gossips, DPW superintendent Rob Perry just provided this update:
Tank is filling and we are almost at 1/2 tank. We built our tank volume by 350,000 gallons since restoring flow to the treatment plant yesterday afternoon.
We have the pump and all necessary fittings to make an interconnection with Greenport if necessary. These are all rented, and we will return them once the tank is full. We also have verbal approval for the emergency interconnection from County & State Department of Health.
We are cautiously optimistic that the tank will be filled to capacity over the next week. But we need the community to resist the temptation to:
    • water gardens,
    • water lawns,
    • fill pools,
    • wash cars.
Independently, these actions don't seem like much, but when compounded by hundreds of property owners, this represents a significant strain on our compromised system.
Gossips wants to add one more exhortation: "Tell everyone you know." The number of Hudson residents who don't read the mayor's Facebook page or the Register-Star or The Gossips of Rivertown for that matter is likely very significant. While returning from Fairview Avenue earlier this evening, I noticed evidence that suggested a car had been washed on Carroll Street. The street was wet, and water was running in the gutter. I would wager the person who washed the car knew nothing about Hudson's current water emergency.  

10 comments:

  1. Thank you for getting us this update, Carol!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Sounds like a good time to get out the large electronic sign they use upon entering Hudson from time to time.

    ReplyDelete
  3. In the not-so-old days, someone would drive around with a bullhorn making a public service announcement.

    All summer long we listen to ice cream trucks playing the same ridiculous tunes through tinny speakers, but the city can't figure out how to broadcast an important message?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Easy problem to solve: just posit a conspiracy theory that Hillary Clinton, in concert with George Soros, have teamed up to divert Hudson's water supply to Antifa. The entire population of Hudson will be aware of the problem within 6 hours once it goes viral.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Thanks for the update!

    If they want people to conserve water in general they should fix the water meters and charge by usage rather than a flat fee. As an avid gardener, I love the unlimited flow of water, but it’s probably not a great way to do things in light of the current situation and also considering future development and climate change. The city charges for trash pickup by the bag, and guess what? I barley fill a bag a week. Everything else is recycled or compost.

    Here’s a tip for watering your plants. If you use a dehumidifier you can use the water it makes to water plants. Your plants will thank you too because our tap water here is hard and very alkaline. Good for old pipes, bad for plants.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Traditionally, Hudson has only metered commercial buildings. Additionally, philosophically, Hudson does not charge anything for water; the City charges for the system to bring potable water to residences. Water is a necessity for life and charging for usage is regressive. Now, this may sound odd in the context of a city that didn’t light street lamps during full moons to save money, but it’s true. Even when the old boys ran the joint, there was a modicum of progressive policy seeping through.

      Delete
    2. I has a commercial building that i wish was metered !!! As a single occupant I used very little water and conserved as a result of growing up with a well. But instead I was charged double rate because i had two bathrooms ;-(

      Delete
  6. Can we just all agree the pig's name is either Waldo or Carmen?

    I would add that the commercial water rates in Hudson are extremely affordable as compared to other municipalities in the area.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I suggested an old fashioned pig calling contest.

      Delete