[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6765217,"mediaKeyId","5885928-ba2662158f3a971e1aa126a8915020c7","parentId",5885928,"title","Ridgewood Water says most PFAS treatment plants on track, all‑in cost projected near $150M","audioSeconds",2093,"startMs",2515715,"endMs",4609325,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5885928-ba2662158f3a971e1aa126a8915020c7&start=2515&end=4609","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5885928-ba2662158f3a971e1aa126a8915020c7/thumbnail_2515715.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6765217/Ridgewood/Bergen-County/New-Jersey/Ridgewood-Water-says-most-PFAS-treatment-plants-on-track-allin-cost-projected-near-150M","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6765217-7f69c4ec2b4cd3348e18839fc70e00c8/orig.mp4?Expires=1775205482&Signature=kTO2StwY5nbkCsifkT0pwaWVvVu5fKitIovL9fXkoa5taRled35rYt-rJh~bYW~pCQ3WaugtPLNO8uGXjT1aneOVGQFhqOPNA9f-bi~T3XVcSt8SHQA~4lGcSYGn-j2pMBuTSdRvx3kZm59e2xiJbfz4Z7GwI-4JLajwtmfPrOME9kLH1ICacSdI6qNywPi9RxSiJY9BZxCK4THigu~Ju1x7MhbnzUox2LACPGvhKk1uffHDUHeE-no407iXO-6QmiPLG7Zl8DKE2~bM1j0hBaeR12MMlA4dlfmFFMWrICvnQl6CRXiCkQJPilgEwgd89kmDZ-Clo37LQDh-PGhh6g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Village of Ridgewood, NJ","date","2025-09-30T13:40:29Z","article","Ridgewood — Ridgewood Water updated the Village Council on Sept. 29 on the status of a 12‑site program to remove per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from the utility’s drinking water system, saying the majority of plants are under construction and that the utility is pursuing multiple grant and loan offsets to blunt borrowing costs.

Rich Calbee, director of Ridgewood Water, told the council that nine facilities are currently under construction and that \"we expect 11 of 12 plants to be active by 2026, with the final plant likely carrying into early 2027\" because of cultural‑resource review and re‑bidding at the largest site (Cedar Hill). He said the system already has several active plants and that an interconnection with Hawthorne — whose source water tests PFAS‑free — now supplies treated water year‑round to help lower system PFAS concentrations.

Calbee gave immediate schedule and technical details: the utility is using both activated carbon and resin treatment vessels. He said the steel vessels have a expected service life of \"50 years\" and that carbon media must be replaced annually; two constrained sites will use smaller resin vessels. Calgon‑brand vessels and large carbon loads were shown in a public video demonstrating the scale of the build‑out.

On costs, Ridgewood Water separated \"construction‑only\" and total program expense. Calbee said the construction‑only price tag for the 12 plants is roughly $63–67 million and that award contracts for equipment, mains and site work have been recorded publicly. He added that an additional $30–40 million of engineering, construction inspection and administration is projected, producing a mid‑range program subtotal of about $98 million by the end of construction, with interest, fees and other ancillary costs increasing the projected \"all‑in\" total to about $150 million.

Calbee and council members outlined offsetting revenues and financing tools the utility is pursuing: a confirmed federal grant of about $2.8 million, a newly entered $1 million state grant in the SAGE system, and principal‑forgiveness commitments from the New Jersey Infrastructure Bank that Calbee estimated could total roughly $5–7 million across projects. He said the utility has pursued every available grant avenue and is optimistic about additional recoveries from legal or insurance claims where applicable.

Council members asked for clarity on the gap between the $63–67 million construction line and the larger estimates. Calbee explained that the lower figure excludes engineering, inspection, administration, interest and other ancillary costs; when those are added the projection reaches the $98 million subtotal and approaches $150 million when long‑term financing costs are included.

Calbee also reviewed plant‑level timing and capacity: several plants will be brought into service within days to weeks, including Prospect (scheduled to begin treatment the day after the meeting), and Ravine (expected online by November). He said the large Cedar Hill plant — the most complex and most delayed — remains in re‑bid and is the primary reason one plant is forecast beyond 2026.

The presentation stressed conservation while construction continues. Calbee said the more customers conserve water, the higher the percentage of water in the distribution system that will be below the PFAS maximum contaminant level set by New Jersey DEP (PFOA 14 parts per trillion and PFOS 13 parts per trillion, per the DEP standard mentioned in the presentation).

Next steps: Ridgewood Water will continue awarding remaining contracts, pursue written commitments for anticipated grants and principal forgiveness, and seek the council’s approvals on specific capital resolutions and change orders as individual projects reach procurement milestones. The utility also asked the council to authorize related grant signature resolutions already on the agenda.

\"We're getting clean water into the pipes as soon as we can,\" Calbee said. \"Everything else is ancillary to that.\"","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Village of Ridgewood Council Meeting | 09-29-25","oneSentenceSummary","Ridgewood Water reported Sept. 29 that a multi‑site PFAS treatment program is progressing, with most plants under construction and multiple financing offsets pursued to reduce borrowing costs.","taxTitle","Ridgewood, Bergen County, New Jersey","taxId",56894,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6765214,"Proposed Ridgewood Special Improvement District would assess businesses; council presses for representation and budget detail",1481,1031085,2512935,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5885928-ba2662158f3a971e1aa126a8915020c7&start=1031&end=2512","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5885928-ba2662158f3a971e1aa126a8915020c7/thumbnail_1031085.jpg","/articles/6765214/Ridgewood/Bergen-County/New-Jersey/Proposed-Ridgewood-Special-Improvement-District-would-assess-businesses-council-presses-for-representation-and-budget-detail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6765214-82fbf05cfe975853279c63edc135ec02/orig.mp4?Expires=1775205482&Signature=CHrcm4ZwGx3xnNCxkGG023gJLkvMrzhMgXwJ4uWVpESOtw44NuQK5GNIxMcHBn3bPe1t9-tGn8DOKrU0iUqozg7caZGPnG5liAhJuf70TJ1PnbQpTq-8kxkzu0QphvGN~M-yjsih7E3ngZ-XcXZc6ysHCv1gGSnmFgdsBDKeXP3r2LXJ6JSqM2K-BC3~31-tJgheGcrgv0jFR-T2PUiAKyslLUqwWz5POaM2Dn7L8C1SlsnKj~pO6n4LQ00Wh5UZeazpvt9cc0JSwUIBcCCC8895aoaknOVtg7gWTp1HquWKdb4JqxqqDWcbB9Ejj5oRgy8AL5nBNjR7riBS8bkIOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ridgewood — At a Sept. 29 work session the Ridgewood Business Alliance (RBA) outlined a proposed special improvement district (SID) that would create a two‑tier assessment on commercial properties and fund marketing, capital improvements and economic‑development activities.

Pam, speaking for the RBA, said the plan divides the commercial area into a smaller \"tier 1\" (the expanded central business footprint shown on a distributed map) and a broader \"tier 2\" reaching to the municipality’s commercial borders. Under the proposal, tier 1 properties would be assessed 4% of their prior‑year taxes and tier 2 properties 2% of their prior‑year taxes; the RBA estimated the assessment would generate about $760,550 annually. The RBA proposed spending that revenue on marketing and branding (approximately $200,000), economic development (~$170,000), capital/visual improvements (~$216,000) and administration (~$170,550), and said the money would be collected by the village and returned to a district management corporation (the RBA) to manage per its board’s priorities.

Pam told council the SID is not voluntary: under the enabling statute she said the district is mandatory for properties that fall in the defined schedules and that the board of directors must be more than 50% commercial property owners. She said the RBA has 13 directors now and bylaws allow up to 17.

Councilors praised the idea but raised multiple concerns in follow‑up questioning. Key points from the exchange:

- Map boundaries and representation: Several council members said the SID map did not match many residents’ mental maps of the \"central business district\" and sought the methodology used to include some apartment buildings, condominiums and properties near Southern Parkway. Council members asked the RBA to recruit representatives from tier‑2 businesses and nonprofits so the board better reflects the affected community; RBA leaders said outreach is underway and they will add members.

- Due process/appeals: Council members urged that property owners who believe they were mis‑tiered have an appeal or due‑process avenue. The presenter said the board’s bylaws allow up to 17 directors and that RBA will reach out to affected stakeholders; councilors asked staff to consider adding an explicit appeal mechanism in the approval/implementation process.

- Budget detail and placeholders: Multiple council members said some line items in the RBA’s budget packet appeared to be placeholders (for example, several event and promotional line items) and asked for more detailed, realistic line‑item descriptions before the council would feel comfortable approving the budget. Several urged treating the RBA budget review with the same scrutiny the council applies to municipal budgets.

- Statutory obligations: RBA representatives emphasized the board decides which projects to fund within the statutory powers of a special improvement district; the village council's role, they said, is limited to review and approval of the proposed management budget. The presenter reiterated that the statute requires a majority of directors to be commercial property owners.

\"We walked the Central Business District and there was a lot of judgment that went into the map,\" Pam said; she asked councilors to defer to the group that spent months drafting the plan but promised continued outreach. A council member responded that labeling the area \"extended CBD\" or another term might reduce confusion.

Next steps: The council indicated it will scrutinize the RBA’s budget and board composition, ask staff for a breakdown of who will be assessed (a parcel list currently tied to the ordinance schedule was referenced), and expect a return report with fuller line‑item detail and confirmation of outreach to tier‑2 businesses and nonprofits. If the council approves the SID budget, the village would collect the assessment and transfer funds to the district management corporation per the enabling ordinance and statute.

Several public commenters urged civil discussion during council exchanges and asked clarifying questions about the open‑space referendum; the council and village attorney clarified that referendum language must be neutral and that the state statute limits the use of open‑space funds to acquisition, maintenance and development.","The Ridgewood Business Alliance presented a proposed special improvement district that would assess commercial properties in two tiers to raise about $760,550 a year for marketing, capital improvements and administration.","actionData","errors"]

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Ridgewood Water says most PFAS treatment plants on track, all‑in cost projected near $150M

Proposed Ridgewood Special Improvement District would assess businesses; council presses for representation and budget detail