Glens Falls officials describe $1M emergency switchgear fix, $13–14M electrical upgrade at wastewater plant and broader water/sewer funding challenges

City water and sewer officials told the Common Council that a failure of the wastewater treatment plant’s main switchgear on Dec. 23 required an immediate short-term replacement estimated at roughly $1,000,000 and that a full electrical upgrade of the plant is expected to cost about $13 million to $14 million.

Bill Norton, water and sewer superintendent, said plant staff and a contractor determined the aging switchgear began smoking and failing when crews tried to transfer power to a backup feed. Norton said crews used existing on-site generators and outside contractor High Voltage Electric Services to restore power and that a currently available switch the contractor could install would likely restore reliable operation for “two to three years” while the city completes a full electrical upgrade design.

Norton told the council that the short-term replacement and generator work would cost in…