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Red Hook board appoints H2O Innovation as water and sewer operator; town addresses DEC consent order
Summary
The Village of Red Hook voted to appoint H2O Innovation Operation and Maintenance LLC as its water and sewer operator on a one-year contract effective Aug. 1, 2025, while discussing a recent DEC consent order and ongoing efforts to bring wastewater operations into compliance.
The Village of Red Hook board on Monday approved a one-year appointment of H2O Innovation Operation and Maintenance LLC as the village’s water and sewer operator, effective Aug. 1, 2025, and authorized the mayor to negotiate and sign the contract.
The sewer team — including the village engineer and DPW foreman — recommended H2O after contacting six potential operators and reviewing proposals. The chair said the village felt "H2O is a larger organization" with a separate safety team and local leadership, and described the contract as short-term and reviewable if the arrangement does not meet expectations.
The board also acknowledged a potential conflict of interest: the village attorney, Kyle Barnett, represents H2O in an unrelated collection action. The board voted to consider that representation "unrelated and inconsequential" and waived any potential conflict so Barnett may assist with contract review; the board noted, however, that alternate counsel could be used if members preferred.
The appointment comes alongside an operational update and enforcement action from state regulators. The village reported the new wastewater plant produced fully compliant samples during June; the older plant had one sample exceed the limit for total suspended solids. On July 3, 2025, the village received a consent order from the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation stemming from a prior notice of violation dated April 14, 2025, and a March 21, 2025 site inspection. The mayor said the village's attorney is coordinating with DEC counsel and Delaware Engineering on a response and that plans showing modifications will be submitted to DEC for approval.
Officials said they requested that certain flow violations be reviewed in light of additional allowable flow from the new plant added in early 2023. The board scheduled a public information meeting on wastewater operations for July 15 at Village Hall to share latest testing results and planned corrections.
Board members stressed close oversight: the one-year contract was described as intentionally short to allow the village to reassess vendor performance, and the sewer team said it would conduct audits and remain "very on top of how they're functioning."
