MORRISONVILLE — After more than two decades of planning, the Town of Schuyler Falls officially broke ground Thursday on a transformative water infrastructure project set to replace nearly 30,000 feet of aging asbestos cement water mains in the Morrisonville Water District.
At a ceremony held at the Schuyler Falls Town Hall Thursday, community leaders, engineers and residents gathered to celebrate one of the largest infrastructure projects the town has ever undertaken.
“This brainchild started back in January 2020,” Kevin Randall, Clinton County Legislator (R-Area 5) and former Schuyler Falls Town Supervisor, said.
“When I talked to Mr. Laberge about wanting to do this project, he asked me, ‘Are you sure? Do you know what you’re biting off here?’ We worked really hard on it.”
Randall’s persistence paid off, in coordination with the town and engineering firm the Laberge Group, millions in funding were secured from various federal and state programs.
Funding includes $2.56 million in Community Project Funding from Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville), Sens. Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand; $1.3 million in USDA Water and Environmental Program grant funding; $1.25 million in Community Development Block Grant funds; and $5.56 million in USDA low-interest loans.
“Our first real goal was the CDBG funding and then USDA low-interest loan funding,” Randall said.
The project, with the help of The Laberge Group, will replace deteriorating water lines originally installed in the 1950s with modern infrastructure designed to last the next 100 years.
The project includes the installation of approximately 12,000 linear feet of 12-inch water main along State Route 22B and Flat Rock Road to the water storage tank, as well as an additional 17,000 feet of 8-inch water main throughout the remainder of the district.
The Laberge Group has been a crucial partner in the project, conducting the Preliminary Engineering Report, assisting with grant applications, and now overseeing implementation.
Ronald Laberge, Laberge Group Vice President, acknowledged the long road it took to get here.
“This project has been in the works for 25 years,” Laberge said.
“Former town boards have looked at replacing the water system for a long time. Laberge Group has helped in the past, but it never flew until Kevin came into office in 2020. He helped get the funding, which was about 50% grant funding and 50% low-interest loans.”
Once complete, the upgrades will reduce service disruptions caused by leaks and breaks, improve water pressure, ensure adequate fire protection, and conserve water.
Town Supervisor Mindy Smith, who inherited the project as it moved into its most critical phase, called the milestone a “breath of fresh air,” and that residents should not expect major disruptions from the project.
“It should not disrupt things. Some side streets may need to be closed, if they are more narrow, but we will have at least one lane open on New York 22B,” she said.
Smith emphasized the impact this upgrade will have on the daily lives of residents, including less frequent breaks and leaks and potential growth.
“Of course breaks happen in an outdated system. That will happen less with the new system,” she said.
“We expect to possibly grow our water system further over the years.”
According to Laberge, this project is absolutely necessary to consistently provide residents with clean water.
“These asbestos pipes have plagued the area for a long time, not in health, but with breaks and leaks,” he said.
“The current system leaks about 50% of the water supply, and that will be reduced to near zero in the new system.”
The replacement process will be “very methodical,” according to Laberge, crews have already begun setup, and construction will proceed on a street by street basis.
“You can already see down the street, we are setting up,” he said.
“We will be going through every street, replacing the main from the old to the new main.”
The project has also garnered support from neighboring communities and state-level representatives.
Michael Cashman, Town Supervisor of Plattsburgh, attended the groundbreaking and expressed his enthusiasm.
“I applaud the leadership,” he said.
Assemblyman Billy Jones echoed those sentiments in a statement.
“Everyone deserves clean water, and I applaud the Town of Schuyler Falls for working diligently for years to fix their water system in Morrisonville,” he said.
“Unfortunately, the Town is not alone in facing issues with aging water infrastructure, and that is why I continue to push for more funding to help local governments address this issue.”
As the Laberge Group’s golden shovels turned the first soil of the project site, residents and officials alike reflected on the teamwork and dedication that made the moment possible.
“There’s been a ton of hours of work behind the scenes,” Randall added.
“It’s nice to finally see shovels in the ground. So excited to get things going after so much hard work.”