Please find the most up to date notices from the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson.
NYSDOH declares Cornwall-on-Hudson water “acceptable for all uses”
Cornwall-on-Hudson, NY – The New York State Department of Health (DOH) recently issued a report on the Cornwall-on-Hudson water system pronouncing its water is “acceptable for all uses.”
The DOH tested the Cornwall-on-Hudson drinking water on samples collected on Sept. 29, 2018, for perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as a follow-up to testing completed in 2016. The agency conducted the tests to identify and test drinking water systems near facilities that may be frequent users of PFAS, such as airports.
The DOH report indicated that the follow-up testing showed levels well below the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency health advisory of 70 parts per trillion of PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid) combined. Based on results, “no actions are necessary to reduce exposure.” In addition, these results are well below the maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 10 parts per trillion (PPT) recommended by the New York State Drinking Water Quality Council.
The Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson remains vigilant in the protection of its water supply and continues to monitor its drinking water system on a regular basis in conjunction with the DOH and Orange County Department of Health.
For questions regarding these tests or any other water matter, please contact DOH or the Cornwall-on-Hudson Water Department.
The village’s Annual Water Quality Report, which will be issued later this month, will include the test results.
The Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson has introduced a new format for its water bills. A postcard has replaced the perforated envelope that residents of the Town of Cornwall as well as the village receive. The new format is a step toward a paperless system that will simplify paying village water bills. “As with any new procedure, we are working to smooth out any difficulties,” Mike Trainor, Village Water Superintendent, said. “We appreciate customers’ patience as we work through the challenges of the new format.”
The name, address, account number and amount owed appear on the postcard. Part of the process includes changing account numbers; the old account numbers are on file. The postcard has a return stub that can be separated and mailed or dropped off with payment. Other municipalities, including the towns of Goshen, Monroe, New Windsor and Warwick, use the postcard format for its water bills.
Some residents have provided feedback on the new system. Some are concerned that postcard format shows their information. Few people see the postcards, however, and the data is public information. For those who are late with payments, the words “PAST DUE” will not appear on the postcards. Others are pleased that they no longer have to open a challenging envelope.
Options are available for those who would rather not receive postcards and prefer other ways to pay their bills:
“If anyone has any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call me at village hall (845-534-4200),” Trainor said.
December 4, 2023
Dear Town/Village Water Clients of the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson’s Water System,
A blurb in last week’s Cornwall Local in its “Around the Village” feature has led to some fears and concerns expressed on social media and related to the Village’s “Water Meter Replacement Project.” These fears are unfounded and related to some speculative, inaccurate, and erroneous information being circulated in posted comments section. Here are the FACTS:
The Cornwall water system includes 2,671 meters. ONLY 360 of these meters required updating. Letters were mailed ONLY to the customers requiring upgraded replacements; with initial notice sent via USPS in June of 2023, followed by a second notice in August of 2023, with a final notice mailed out in November of 2023. New fee rate for those who ignored these mailings goes into effect in January of 2024. THERE IS NO CHARGE FOR THE UPGRADED METERS.
To date, our Water Department has replaced 265 out of the 360 outdated models (73.6%). Our team is scheduled to replace another 26 meters by end of this calendar year. This translates to 291 of the original 360 (79.7%) – which leaves 69 outstanding meter replacements (39 in Town and 30 in Village) for total project completion.
The remaining 69 meters represent just 2.58% of our customer base. Over 97% of our water customers already possess a meter on their property which can be read remotely. The $75.00 manual read fee – which helps pay for having to pull our small team of employees off of other projects related to maintaining some 52 miles of water pipes, five reservoirs, a well field, and multiple treatment facilities in order to deliver safe, drinkable water to your tap, so that they can make a house call to read a meter -- will pertain to less than 3% of our end state consumers.
Important Note: This fee will only be assessed if the property owner has NOT made ANY attempt to schedule an appointment.
If residents are unsure of what type of meter that they have, they can call our Administrative Assistant Stephanie Xagoraris at (845) 534-4200 Ext. 250. She can advise whether meter requires replacement. I have posted photographs of what is considered “old” and “upgraded.”
BENEFITS: The new meters will read water consumption to the tenth of a gallon allowing for FAR more accurate billing. The old meters read consumption in 1,000-gallon increments.
New meters will allow residents to also remotely monitor their own water consumption system and set usage alerts from any internet capable device.
The new meters also allow our staff to more accurately monitor water consumption on a daily basis, while comparing it to our daily water production to monitor for water system leaks.
I hope this explainer helps to clear up any confusion. Water Superintendent Trainor and his team do an outstanding job delivering this precious resource to our homes, schools, and businesses. Both he and I (and our water staff) are available to any resident with questions or concerns.
On behalf of the Village Board,
James A. “Jimmy” Gagliano
Mayor
Dear Residents and Friends of the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson,
It’s OFFICIAL! Governor Kathy Hochul’s Office has just issued a press release identifying the municipal, non-profit, and private sector “transformational” Mid-Hudson Region project award selections. The Cornwall community – which includes the Town and the Village of Cornwall-on-Hudson – were blessed with a bounty of $4.5 million in reinvestments as part of the New York Forward grant award we received in February of 2023. Our Village-Town collaboration, coupled with the long hours and due diligence exerted by our handpicked Local Planning Committee, a plethora of committed volunteers (special shout-out to EDAC’s Steve Jones and Jason Burnham), our community planner, and the Village’s and Town’s engineering firms all served as the clear-cut margin of victory. Now, as they oft say, the hard work begins in earnest as we seek to put contracts in place and shovels in the soil. Stay tuned for exciting details soonest.
Secondly, I’d be remiss in not recognizing our Cornwall-on-Hudson Water Department under the leadership of Superintendent Mike Trainor for their recent New York State award recognition as “2024 Water System of the Year.” Staffed with only nine employees – the aforementioned Superintendent Trainor, Water Maintenance Leader Daniel Nye, Chief Water Plant Operator Donald Bryde, Assistant Leader Richard Smith, Heavy Equipment Operator Joseph McCormick, Motor Equipment Operator Luis Delacruz, and Water Maintenance Operators Daniel Dimitrov and Jason Sergeant, along with P/T Clerk Stephanie Xagoraris -- our crews perform yeoman’s work on behalf of residential and commercial water customers within the Village and Town, as well as the Cornwall Central School District. This honor reflects on their professionalism and the pride they exhibit in their daily duties to deliver pure, clean drinking water to all of us.
On behalf of your Village Board,
View Recorded Video of Meeting
Dear Residents and Friends of the greater Cornwall area,
Tonight, Thursday, September 21, 2023, beginning at 7:00 p.m., inside the Edward C. Moulton, Jr. boardroom located at Village Hall, 325 Hudson Street, Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York, the Village Board will be joined by the Town Council for a special meeting related to a preliminary review of a DRAFT water system master plan (prepared by the Village Engineer).
This meeting is the third joint session of recent vintage and will serve as an opportunity for the board and council to have a first look at exactly where Cornwall and Cornwall-on-Hudson stand related to our aging, failing, and crumbling water system infrastructure. Presentations from Village Engineer Jason Pitingaro and Water Superintendent Michael Trainor will kick things off. Afterwards, the two elected bodies will engage in initial talks regarding the current state of our infrastructure and potential paths forward.
The meeting is scheduled for two and one-half hours and is OPEN to the public, space available. It will also be livestreamed and remotely accessible to witness in real time via a link to be provided on the Village website and Facebook page. Those unable to join can also access archived video of the proceedings to be posted later to our YouTube page. There will also be a limited period towards the end of the meeting for public comment for those in attendance.
Please understand – this is the INITIAL unveiling of the draft plan. Every issue will not be resolved tonight. This meeting is designed for the Village – which controls the greater Cornwall area’s water system infrastructure (to include 16,000 customers, 52 miles of subterranean water mains, five reservoirs and attendant dams, a well field, and treatment facilities) – to lay out focused priorities for repairs, remediation, and upgrades to a water system introduced in 1888.
Full transparency is the goal, followed by prioritized “action items.” Exists no panacea of solutions or bottomless pot of funding to solve every crisis now. But we would be derelict in our duties as custodians of our community’s precious resource not to begin to address them soon – as opposed to continuous kicking of the metaphorical can down the road. Let’s begin the process of proactivity and cease the reactionary posture. There are only so many band-aids we can apply to our system. Join us tonight or tune in later to hear the discussion regarding our future.
Updated Draft of local law [PDF] [Web page]