By Peggy Kurtz and Gale Pisha
Sierra Club and its allies in the Rockland Water Coalition won a groundbreaking victory for the environment and for ratepayers in December with the defeat of a massive desalination proposal for the Hudson River. After eight years of work to stop the desalination proposal by Suez, one of the largest water companies worldwide, this dramatic victory finally puts Rockland County in a position to move ahead with first steps toward sustainable water planning. At the same time, Suez has filed a request for Rockland residents and businesses to pay an astounding $54 million for the failed desalination proposal, which never started construction.
Major Victory Yet Rockland May Still Pay $54 Million for Failed Proposal
On December 17, the NYS Public Service Commission (PSC) rejected the energy intensive desalination proposal, which would have drawn Rockland’s drinking water from the Hudson River, 3.5 miles downstream from Indian Point nuclear power plant. The PSC ordered the company to move ahead with far less expensive and less harmful water supply sources, such as water conservation and efficiency measures and repair of leaking pipes.
Now, in a major new case filed with the PSC, Suez has proposed a water conservation plan, a plan for smaller supply sources, and a plan for repair of leaks. The Rockland Water Coalition and experts are reviewing these policy proposals to be sure that they are strong enough to lay the right groundwork for sustainable alternatives to desalination.
Suez has also proposed a major rate increase. If approved, Suez’s request for an average 13.7% rate increase would come on top of a 17% rate increase in the last two years, so that Rockland rates, already among the highest in the nation, would climb steeply, by more than 30.7% over a period of three years. A local attorney summed up the community reaction well by saying, “How many Rockland residents have seen a salary increase of 30% over a period of three years?”
This rate increase includes a request for $54 million for the failed desalination proposal, despite years of Rockland residents arguing that the company should bear the costs of an imprudent business decision to pursue the extraordinarily expensive and environmentally harmful desalination project.
Rockland County Water Task Force Moving Ahead Despite Lack of Funding
After years of struggle over the hugely unpopular desalination proposal and its massive costs, the Rockland County Water Task Force is now in a position to move ahead with the sustainable alternatives to desalination, yet ironically, it lacks the funding to make this happen. Ordinarily, a portion of this funding would be expected to come from Suez, the water utility for 88% of the county.
The hope is that the Task Force and Suez will be able to put some of this conflict behind as they move ahead on this rate case, to work collaboratively on a plan which will be a model for the entire region.
HOW YOU CAN HELP NOW: Call for Water Efficient Standards at the State Level
As part of that effort, Rockland activists are joining forces with others around the state to call for changes in water policy at the state level. Water efficiency is an important step forward in reducing energy use and New York’s carbon footprint.
We are asking for an update to state building codes to require EPA WaterSense certification for fixtures and appliances, to be less wasteful of water. Water efficiency also results in energy efficiency, since water is energy intensive, requiring energy for pumping, heating, and wastewater treatment. WaterSense standards, some of which have been in place since 2006 and which are required in NYC and in four states, are widely available, well tested by the marketplace and would not raise costs for consumers.
YOU CAN HELP US GET WATER EFFICIENCY STANDARDS AT THE STATE LEVEL:
Ask your state legislators to contact the NY Department of State to let the NYS Building Code Council know that they support passage this spring of a requirement for WaterSense standards in the state building code. Those comments should be forwarded to:
For more information, check www.sustainablerockland.org or contact rocklandclimatemarch@gmail.com.
Peggy Kurtz and Gale Pisha are co-chairs of the Lower Hudson Group Desalination Committee.