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Menands board approves engineering study to evaluate reservoir replacement and Albany interconnect
Summary
The Menands Village Board voted to fund an engineering evaluation of its high-service water reservoir and the feasibility of reconnecting to Albany’s water supply, citing grant opportunities and historic water loss; the motion passed after a voice vote (opposition was recorded but the motion moved forward).
Menands — The Village Board on March 2 approved funding to pursue an engineering study to evaluate replacement of the village’s aging high-service water reservoir and to model a potential interconnection with Albany’s water system.
Board members were told the water fund is currently solvent and that completing engineering work is a necessary step to apply for federal and state grant programs. The presentation to the board stressed that engineers must model flow and pressure to determine whether an Albany interconnect could reduce the size and cost of a new reservoir and to clarify what storage is required for emergencies and fire flow.
Discussion at the meeting noted historical water-loss figures — speakers cited losses as high as about 48% at a prior peak and described improvements after a meter-replacement project — and emphasized that until modeling is complete the village cannot know the correct reservoir size or final cost. The presenter also noted that grant application cycles can require repeated attempts and that having a completed engineering study improves scoring in future rounds.
A motion “to evaluate the water storage reservoir replacement and evaluate alternative municipal water supply connections” was moved and seconded and put to a voice vote; the transcript records one person saying “Yes” in opposition, but does not record a full roll-call tally. The board directed staff to notify the engineering firm (LaBella) to proceed and to begin grant-application work.
The transcript contained inconsistent numeric figures in places (a $2,000 figure is recorded during the motion sequence while earlier discussion referenced larger study costs); the board’s materials should be consulted for the official scope and budget for the study. The village said it plans to use the study for applications to programs that include federal infrastructure funding and state grant sources.
Next steps: staff will coordinate with LaBella to produce the engineering scope and then pursue relevant grant applications; the board will consider the final study cost and any financing options once the scope is available.
