Cold Spring declares Stage 2 water emergency after reservoir turbidity

The Village of Cold Spring Board of Trustees voted 3-0 to authorize Mayor Kathleen E. Foley to proclaim a Stage 2 Water Emergency on July 8, 2026, after heavy rains caused excessive turbidity in the village’s surface source reservoirs. Trustee Laura Bozzi made the motion, Trustee John A. Bardes seconded, and the vote was recorded as adopted 3-0-0-2 (two trustees absent). The proclamation is effective immediately and will remain in place until rescinded by the mayor and the Village Board of Water Commissioners.

The proclamation cites storm-related overload of reservoir water treatment as the cause: "This is not a mechanical issue at the plant — it is storm-related overload," the proclamation states. It notes that potable water is currently being drawn from the village’s treated backup storage tanks while those tanks are being back-filled with trucked-in, purified water, and it describes trucked water as very expensive. The order invokes Chapter 130-20 through 130-24 of the Village Code and directs the Water Superintendent, the Code Enforcement Officer, and the Cold Spring Police Department to enforce the measures. The proclamation is signed by Mayor Kathleen E. Foley.