GBCA- water system policy - the Goldens Bridge Homepage
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1. GOLDENS BRIDGE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION Inc Colony Water User s Manual INTRODUCTION This Manual is intended to provide information required for Members of Goldens Bridge Community Association Inc GBCA and their tenants and guests for optimum usage of the community water system Since the Colony GBCA consists of Members who are supplied by the Colony and those who have their own wells the information is primarily intended to serve those who are supplied by the Colony water users although much of the information may be useful to those who have their own wells It is also useful to members who have recently purchased homes in the Colony those who may be considering such a purchase and existing Colony members who may consider connecting to the community water system If any errors are discovered in this manual or any reader believes that the manual would be enhanced by including additional material please advise a member of the Water Committee THE WATER SYSTEM The community water system is a public water system licensed by the Westchester County Department of Health WCDOH which has the responsibility of monitoring compliance with Part 5 of the New York State Department of Health NYSDOH regulations and acts as the agent of NYSDOH in ensuring compliance with the Safe Drinking Water acts promulgated by the Federal Government The permit is unrestricted and unconditional and is posted in the chlorination shed The water system uses a sub2. e storage tanks to refill If a serious storm is expected you may wish to fill a pot or two with water in advance of the storm Do not waste water Do not leave hoses faucets or pipes running Any fountain or pool filled with Colony water must be of the re circulating type and the filling hose piping must have backflow protection If the fountain or pool is large it may be refilled only during nighttime hours and not at all during drought emergencies Do not water lawns in the heat of the day Observe County and Colony restrictions on lawn watering car washing etc Cut back on water usage in drought periods Cut off any private well when you connect to the Colony system with a physical disconnect of underground piping at the well Provide backflow prevention on all hoses and a check valve at the incoming pipe to the house Protect curbcocks from damage by vehicles and tampering Do not pave over curbcocks strike curbcocks caps with lawnmowers plows or vehicles or cover curbcocks with asphalt or concrete Remove all unused tanks of any kind Install all new piping with leadfree solder and do all repairs with leadfree solder Inspect old piping and where the solder joints appear problematical replace with leadfree solder joints Members are responsible for repairs to lines from the property edge to the house of from the curbcock to the house If closing a curbcock is necessary notify Pat Killeen Pat Killeen must be present for installation or r
3. eplacement of a curbcock Be observant for leaks anywhere in the Colony If water appears where is should not be and you suspect that is my come from the Colony system notify the Water Committee promptly 6 Check your septic tank and field regularly Follow maintenance and pumping procedures recommended by the DOH Do not dump upon or contaminate well properties Do not walk a dog on well properties Do not dump organic solvents anywhere on Colony land or water Do not construct a septic field within 200 feet of a Colony well EMERGENCIES 1 In the event of a major pipe break in the house or on your property Notify Pat Killeen and a member of the water Committee promptly so that Pat can cut off the relevant curbcock Arrange for repair of the break Notify Pat when repair is completed so that curbcock can be turned back on Be aware that a major break leak can cause the water storage to be drawn down so that the booster pumps will run dry and burn out This can disable the system for a long period and incur major costs which are passed along to the water users If you see a break in a summer line or water appearing along a read or wherever water should not be notify Pat promptly Water saved conserved is money saved in operating costs and in wear and tear If you hear unusual noises from well areas or the chlorination shed or see anything out of the ordinary in these areas notify Pat and the Water Committee If you see vandalism
4. in progress on the water properties notify the State Police and the Water Committee Vandalism stopped is Colony property saved Unauthorized persons are not permitted to enter will pits or the chlorination shed unaccompanied and may not unlock well cap covers If you believe that access to a well pit the chlorination shed or the well shafts is necessary contact Pat Killeen or a member of the Water Committee Every effort is made to telephone or E mail those on the water system when a repair is planned to enable the water user to prepare for a water shutdown When emergency repairs are necessary there may be a shutdown without notice Please be assured that every effort is made to keep shutdowns to a minimum and minimize the duration of any repair Thank You November 2006 RA ja 10
5. ints in the Colony System there is still a detectable trace of residual chlorine Much of the chlorine added evaporates or breaks down in the storage thanks before the water is pumped out Disinfection destroys bacteria and coliforms that may enter the system and does not affect the taste or the uses of the water b Water Delivery The chlorinated water is delivered to the water mains by two 3 HP booster pumps which draw the water from the tanks and pump it into the mains The booster pumps operate alternately and are controlled by a pressure switch and the pressure in a tank in the Branch Street well pit To prevent the development of excess pressure at low points a pressure reducing valve in the chlorination shed limits the pressure sent down Hall Avenue and to the portions of the Colony west of Lake Street Maintenance and checking for problems is always required Pat Killeen checks the shed daily to be certain that there are no obvious problems Chlorine levels are checked daily at the chlorination shed and for residual chlorine at locations towards the end of the mains Compressed air is added periodically to the Branch Street pit tank Pump motors must be greased and checked to be certain they are not running hot The piping is checked for leaks Controls are checked to see that all level switches and relays are operating Every effort has been made to provide a separate curbcock a below ground valve individual to each water user In s
6. l year service Piping from the curbcock to the house must use 1601b test plastic pipe There must be a brass adapter between the curbcock and the plastic There must be a check valve or other backflow preventer in the house between the house piping and the plastic The plastic pipe and curbcock must be installed at least 4 5 feet deep and below the frost line If you are not accessible to one of the existing mains contact a member of the water committee so that the feasibility of extending a main can be discussed in the context of the mains replacement program The WCDOH encourages connection to the Colony system It is aware that most private wells in this area are shallow and thus susceptible to contamination by ground water in the event of heavy rain or by migration of organic contaminants While private wells can be equipped with disinfection few are Contamination by coliform bacteria has occurred even quite recently in private wells in the Colony Any private well is an opening into the subsurface below bedrock and thus is potential danger to aquifers serving others Connection to the Colony system provides a safe and reliable source of water at good pressure While connection to the Colony system will eliminate the need for costly repairs to a private well you will have to bear your share of the apportioned costs and the connection costs as well Note If you connect to the Colony system you cannot leave your private well connected There mu
7. ome cases because of the history of the water system two users may be supplied by one curbcock and in some case there are no curbcocks and valves in the house are relied upon Each water user is responsible to observe the rules for preventing cross contamination and for implementing the GBCA back flow prevention program that was approved by the WCDOH CHARGES Water charges are apportioned as follows A basic amount is calculated by adding the projected operating cost including taxes electricity supplies equipment for maintenance and repair tests labor and parts a sum of 4 300 00 considered to be the annual amount needed for capital replacement and 8 500 00 approved by the Colony as a continuation of an assessment for water mains replacement The 4 300 00 and the 8 500 00 are placed in the Water Reserve The sum is divided by the total number of units on the water system The quotient is than broken down into summer water charges and winter water charges and is included in the budget The water reserve is intended to accumulate a fund for capital improvement and capital replacement in the water system It consists of an annual contribution of 4 300 00 and 8 500 00 as collected from members From the reserve capital replacement expenditures for pumps well strings tanks and other large dollar items are to be drawn As the 8 500 00 increments are accumulated they will be drawn upon for water main replacement Capital expenditures f
8. or the water system are apportioned traditionally at 80 drawn from the water reserve 20 from the Colony capital improvement fund This ratio is a historically based factor which recognizes that even non users benefit from improvements in the water system The taxes 9 of Colony real estate and school tax paid by the water system are calculated based on the following While the amount of land on which the fixtures of the water system namely the pump shed the well pits the storage tanks the distribution mains and the wells are located is substantially less that the 9 of the land on which the Colony pays its real estate and school taxes the wetlands lake and like properties which serve as a recharge basin are taxed to the water system TESTS The Colony water system is a Municipal Water System under State Federal and Local Law and its operation is governed primarily by Part 5 of the New York State Health Code It also must comply with the Federal Safe Drinking Water acts and regulations and orders as issued by the Westchester County Department of Health WCDOH WCDOH is the administrative agency delegated by the New York Sate Department of Health NYSDOH to ensure compliance with Part 5 and the State is delegated by the Federal authority to ensure compliance with the safe drinking water act An annual Drinking Water Quality Report is available from the Water Committee of the Board of Directors and is sent to all Colony Members Chlo
9. rine levels are tested daily at the shed and at sites remote from the shed Coliform bacterial tests are done monthly by the Water Committee Random bacterials are also taken by WCDOH We have an ongoing program of testing homes for lead and copper first draw tests and this is required testing every 3 years Organics pesticides and inorganics are also tested every 3 years The water system has an unqualified permit to operate issued by WCDOH Note Some municipal water systems require filtration because of surface water contamination problems and phosphate addition to line pipes in the case of lead contamination Neither filtration nor addition of phosphate is required for the GBCA system All tests are filed by a certified water operator who is licensed by the State Health Department The certified operator also solicits from the Westchester Department of Health approval for capital projects and supervises all maintenance CONNECTION TO THE WATER SYSTEM At the present time there are Colony mains along Hillside Avenue Pond Street Hall Avenue behind the houses on Route 138 Branch Street Main Street above Danger Road and West Main Street Connection to these mains is possible You will be obligated for the cost of connection Pat Killeen is responsible for turning on off the water and must be present for installation of the curbcock If you have never had Colony water or just had summer water there is a 700 00 connection charge for al
10. spect on request and before pumping Do not use household cleaners that can kill septic tank microorganisms and to not dump organic solvents or other non degradable materials into household drains Maintain a distance of 25 feet from any water piping from the nearest point in a septic field and report any observed septic tank malfunction to the Water Committee DUMPING AND DISPOSAL OF OIL GASOLINE AND ORGANIC SOLVENTS Motor oils gasoline and organic solvents readily migrate through the subsurface strata to aquifers and wells There are numerous nearby wells that have been irreparably contaminated with organic solvents These should never be dumped on the ground or in surface water anywhere in the Colony No dumping of any kind is permitted on any Colony property and leaves limbs clippings trash and household wastes should not be deposited upon or allowed to migrate to any property near a Colony well Dogs should be kept off well properties COLONY WATER REGUALTIONS 1 Since Colony water is supplied by electric power if there is a power failure notify the power company promptly and do not use any water for the duration of the failure The use of water during a power failure can empty the storage tanks and cause the booster pumps to run dry and burn out when power is restored Do not fill up tubs or pails with water after the power has failed Wait to flush or use water for at least two hours after the power has been restored to allow th
11. st be absolutely no risk of cross contamination The WCDOH also recommends that individual well owners test their wells on a regular basis for coliforms and inorganic contamination There is no fixed interval for checking private wells but an annual coliforms test is recommended CROSS CONNECTION Also see appended document Contamination is a major danger to any water system incurring very serious consequences and the WCDOH has strict regulations designed to prevent cross connection and contamination as a result A cross connection is any connection which will permit a bacterial bridge between a potential contamination source and the water system For example a hose dipping into an animal waterer or child s pool a private well which has not physically been cut off an old hot water tank which is no longer in use but has not been physically separated all pose a danger of contamination Since backflow by gravity is a potential danger backflow preventers on all hoses check valves where the water enters the house and similar devices should be used wherever backflow is possible Information as to how to prevent cross contamination is available from WCDOH and from the Water Committee WATER COMMITTEE GBCA is a membership corporation governed by a Board of Directors half of which are elected each year and officers who are elected annually The community prizes volunteerism and has numerous committees responsible for the day to day func
12. surface source chlorination disinfection and storage and a distribution system to supply water to homes in the Colony The source is two aquifers that originate in the Adirondack Mountains and flows generally from the northwest to the southeast The aquifers serve many communities and are recharged by reservoirs close to Goldens Bridge and other bodies of water and percolation through the soil and rock stata Two deep wells located at the Nursery acre on Main Street and the chlorination shed on Branch Street pump the water to the chlorination shed At the chlorination shed sodium hypochlorite is injected into the water that then flows into two 10 000 gallon storage tanks From these tanks after the required residence time the water is delivered to the distribution system by two 3 horsepower distribution pumps The chlorination shed contains the controls for automatically turning on and off the well and distribution pumps The distribution system consists of water mains running along Pond Street Hall Avenue Hillside Avenue Main Street from Danger Road to the end West Main Street to 20 West Main and up Lake Street from Danger Road a Disinfection The term disinfection refers to the addition of chlorine in the form of sodium hypochlorite to the water as it enters the chlorination shed at Branch Street Two metering pumps add just enough of the sodium hypochlorite solution to the water that when it is delivered to the furthest po
13. tioning of various aspects of the community These committees report to and take direction form the Board of Directors The Water Committee is responsible to the Board of Directors and the membership for the water system The members of the Water Committee currently are Ron Arnstein Chair and licensed Water Operator 4 Hillside Avenue Goldens Brigde NY 10526 Phone fax 914 232 8260 E mail rarnstei optonline net Norman Levine Licensed Water Operator 26 Branch Street Goldens Bridge NY 10526 Phone 914 232 5681 E mail janlev msn com Dan Fast Liaison to Board of Directors Pond Streeet Goldens Bridge NY 10526 Phone 914 232 5397 E mail norfast juno com Water Emergency Contact First Ron Arnstein 914 232 8260 Than Pat Killeen Phone 914 232 4931 20 West Main Street Goldens Bridge NY 10526 Pat Killeen coordinates action in emergencies with the Water Committee WATER AND SEPTIC SYSTEMS Improperly installed damaged or ineffectively maintained septic systems can pose a major health problem and can cause contamination of the water system or private wells in the path of contamination from septic system waste While septic systems are intended to operate biologically almost indefinitely in practice accumulations for solids in septic tanks can cause back up It is recommended that you pump your system regularly usually every two to three years depending upon use A reputable septic system pumping company will in
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