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Quarry Heights residents’ letter prompts North Castle discussion on taking over BOCES water main, forming a water district
Summary
A resident letter about a water main installed to serve BOCES spurred a detailed board discussion about the 2008-installed 8-inch main, possible town takeover, water-district formation, and the need to consult Westchester Joint Water Works and state agencies; DEC (not DEP) was clarified as the relevant agency for private well issues.
The Town of North Castle on June 24 received a letter from a Quarry Heights resident asking whether several properties could connect to a water main installed in 2008 to serve the BOCES campus.
Town staff (Sal) explained the line is an 8-inch main constructed by Westchester Joint Water Works, originally installed at BOCES’ expense with a master meter and backflow preventers on BOCES property. The line was built in the town right-of-way as a public-style main but served BOCES; it also includes a fire hydrant.
Sal said Westchester Joint may be willing to transfer the main to the town, but the transfer would require the formation of a town water district. In that scenario BOCES would become a district customer and the town would purchase water through the master meter. Other nearby properties could apply for service (road opening permits, taps, meters) and would bear the cost of the physical connection if DEC did not provide an alternative.
Board members clarified that the environmental-agency reference in the resident letter should have been DEC (Department of Environmental Conservation), not DEP (Department of Environmental Protection). Members discussed accelerating assistance for the roughly four properties adjacent to the main but noted that a larger district is usually formed when a developer (the discussion named the Jenny Clarkson property as a likely future trigger) needs public water and would justify extending the main.
The board directed staff to continue discussions with Westchester Joint Water Works and to consider district formation when appropriate. No formal decision to form a district was made at the meeting; the item was received for the record.
