By Mike Pettinella
For Video News Service
The Town of Bethany’s quest to provide public water to 478 residential units through its Water District No. 5 project reached a significant milestone on Tuesday morning with the announcement by Supervisor Carl Hyde Jr. that pipes are going into the ground.
“It’s a big day in Bethany,” Hyde said as he introduced contractors, engineers, service providers and Deputy Supervisor Diane Fowler to kick off an informational session for the media at the municipality’s town hall on Bethany Center Road.
In July, the United States Department of Agriculture gave the town “the green light” to put Phase 1 of the $21.6 million initiative out for bid. The first of two phases of the project covers Bethany Center Road, Jerico Road, East Road, Old Telephone Road, Broadway Road (Route 20), Marsh Road and the water tower on Marsh Road.
Ten years in the making, the district will provide public water from the Town of Batavia, Hyde said.
Batavia Town water department employees will install meters and maintain the district infrastructure, but it falls upon property owners to take care of individual hookups to their homes, farms and/or businesses, Fowler said.
Hyde said he was both excited and relieved – “mostly relieved” – over the fact that the project has finally reached this stage.
He said that 127 homes in Water District No. 5 and (the future) Water District No. 6 are hauling water.
“Our large dairy farms are, still to this day, hauling thousands and thousands of gallons of water a day to water their dairy cows, so, it’s a big deal out here,” he said. “… I hope this helps make it a better place for Bethany residents to thrive.”
The supervisor also said that most of the residents are excited, with many telling him that “we’re not moving fast enough.”
“Once they saw the pipe hit the ground in Bethany, my phone started ringing off the hook,” he said. “(They were saying) It’s real now? This is really happening?’ These 10 years has been a nightmare, but it is going to turn into a dream come true for a lot of people.”
TWENTY-EIGHT MILES OF PIPE
Fowler, who started with the town about the same time the project was introduced, said, “We are more than elated … and excited to keep going,” mentioning that Water District No. 6 is next on the list.
She thanked the public and CPL Engineering firm staff for their support, adding, that she was proud “to stand here today and say, down the road a little ways, they are digging holes and putting pipe in the ground.”
Zach Anderson of CPL said Water District No. 5 will feature 28 miles of pipe – 155,000 linear feet – including 40,000 feet of water main on Bethany Center Road, a pump station and a 230,000-gallong water storage tank on Marsh Road. He was joined at the press briefing by CPL colleague David Hardenbrook.
The engineers and Hyde said they expect all work to be done and residents getting public water sometime in 2027.
As far as the cost to residents, Hyde said the annual debt service for a single-family dwelling is $689 per unit. Properties with more than one unit, such as dairy farms and businesses, will pay more than that, bringing the average yearly cost to $800 per unit.
All told, the Town of Bethany has more than 1,200 homes, businesses and farms in its five water districts, Hyde said, with 665 of that number classified as houses.
When asked to talk about some of the project’s challenges, Hyde quickly mentioned the COVID-19 pandemic.
“When COVID hit – for those four years – the price for the whole project went from $16 million to $21 million, that’s if we used PVC (for the pipe),” he said. “The original project was going to be $16 million using ductile iron. When COVID hit, ductile iron went from $16 million to $33 million.”
In the end, they went with the PVC.
Hyde also said some property owners “thought their easements were worth a lot of money across their property so we went around them.”
“Some of their family members discussed their ideas and changed their minds, so that helped,” he said.
The town also overcame issues with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation and is waiting for approval from the USDA for Phase 2, Hyde said.
HYDE: A BIG BOOST FOR FARMERS
Hyde noted that the town’s farming operations will see financial benefits by having potable water.
“(Studies) show that dairy cows that go from well water to potable water have a significant increase in milk production. So, that’s a benefit for the farmer. Also, there’s a reduction in the veterinary costs for the cows,” he said.
He said that 11 houses in the town are vacant because “the wells have gone dry” and owners let the banks foreclose on the property and walked away.
Hyde said public water will boost the health of town residents.
“Kids will not miss as many days of school due to stomach and intestinal viruses, that’s a proven fact,” he said.
Town officials are preparing for what they hope is a surge in economic activity – more industry and housing projects.
“We’re going through the codes and zoning now and the comprehensive plan, trying to get ready for a bigger and better impact on Bethany,” Hyde said. “At one time, Bethany used to have a doctor’s office, we used to have a store, we used to have a lot of things.”
Fowler said Bethany is becoming a “desirable community.”
“We want Bethany to build out now that … it’s a desirable community,” Fowler said. “We have public water – and that will absolutely change the dynamic going forward.”
TOWN OF BATAVIA PROVIDES SUPPORT
Hyde said the town signed an intermunicipal agreement with the Town of Batavia for servicing of Water District No. 5, much in the same way Batavia supports Water District No. 4.
“Instead of the Town of Bethany creating a water department, hiring more qualified people and starting another department out here in Bethany – where resources are limited – we had a discussion with the Town of Batavia, town supervisor and engineers in Batavia,” he said. “… they’re going to handle our water service – our water department issue for the Town of Bethany.
“And maybe if everything works out well and I am really nice to them, we can get them for Water District 6, too, we’ll see.”
Hyde said contingency funds are built into the cost of Water District No. 5 to pay the Town of Batavia for its time and expenses.
Calling it a long process, Paul Barrett, water operator for the Town of Batavia, said he has been busy taking applications and analyzing services for Bethany customers – making sure that the water pressure is adequate.
He also said the installation of fire hydrants will make firefighting more efficient and will reduce the cost of homeowners’ insurance.
Adam Whalen vice president of Randsco Pipeline Inc. of Macedon, which won the bid to install the water main, said that there is no shortage of supplies but noted that the cost of materials is increasing by about 4 percent every six months.
“We’ve seen a huge cost increase since the pandemic,” he said.