Orange County details $185 million Harriman wastewater plant upgrade; households face roughly $1,000–$1,063 annual cost in worst-case model

Orange County officials and consultants presented a technical design and financing update for the Harriman Wastewater Treatment Plant on Feb. 24, 2025, reporting a preliminary 2028 bid estimate of about $185,000,000 and saying the county’s worst-case model would raise costs for typical single‑family households to roughly $1,000 a year (a table in the report showed $1,063 in the highest‑cost scenario).

The presentation, led by Marybeth Bianconi, partner, Delaware Engineering DPC, covered design work now under way, regulatory steps with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) and a financing strategy that relies heavily on competitive state and federal grants. “We are rounding that figure to a hundred and $85,000,000 for a 2028 bid,” Bianconi said. She also told the committee that consultants estimate an increase in first‑year operation and maintenance costs of about $1,400,000, driven largely by chemicals and sludge disposal.

Why it matters: the county is seeking low‑cost financing and grants to limit the burden on ratepayers. Bianconi and county staff outlined several funding sources the project will pursue, said applications for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) and related Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) set‑asides are due May 30, and described additional state programs — the Water Infrastructure Improvement Act (WIIA) and the Water Quality Improvement Program (WQIP) — as potential grant sources.

Design and regulatory status Bianconi said the project has moved through site survey and technical working‑group meetings and that consultants are selecting equipment and completing…