Hidden in Plain Sight . . .

In the last post it was noted that MVWA water users' bills have skyrocketed because County Sewer District costs for a consent order and sewer system/waste treatment plant expansions have been passed on to water users. Now MVWA seeks permission to expand its own system to serve outlying parts of Towns of Westmoreland, Kirkland, Frankfort, and Schuyler.  Few details of the expansion are provided in MVWA's application to DEC because the "need" to expand the system to these areas is hypothetical, based more on MVWA's desire to relieve itself of future DEC oversight rather than actual planned developments in these places.

What is not hypothetical is the amount of water MVWA is requesting to withdraw. From "Water Withdrawal Application Supplement WW-1" Question #9 (see page 6 of the 68 page PDF of the Application made available to the public at DEC on 12/26/13):

 9. WATER WITHDRAWAL AMOUNTS  This project involves withdrawal of up to: 48.5 gallons per day.

(You should note that the amount requested from DEC (48.5) does not match the amount advertised to the public by DEC (32mgd).)

Also not hypothetical is the construction that MVWA proposes - almost 3 miles of new water main - in order to take additional water from Hinckley Reservoir. From "Exhibit C.1" (see page 16 of the PDF of the Application):

It is the intent of MVWA to construct one new main of sufficient capacity to handle the full amount of authorized withdrawal, 48.5mgd, without utilizing the capacity of existing mains. The existing 36" main will remain in service and function as a back-up to the new main . . .

The Greater Utica area currently served by MVWA uses about 21 mgd of water and has a population of about 130,000.  The 4 Towns proposed to be served combined contain a small fraction of the Greater Utica population.

Does anyone really believe that the proposed new mains are related to MVWA's expansion into the 4 Towns?  The real objective of this project is hidden. 

There is good information that an expensive expansion of the water treatment facility is also in the offing because the existing plant can only handle 32 mgd, but this does not appear in the application available at DEC for public review . . . yet.

Guess Who will be tapped with even higher water bills to pay for all this?

We've seen it with the Sewer District, we've seen it with Griffiss "International" Airport, and we are seeing it again with the MVWA.  The people of Greater Utica, deprived of effective representation in government by design, are being forced by that government to pay for the "economic development" dreams of local developers, contractors, and all the other politically-connected leeches who hope to get rich at the Taxpayers' risk.

When does it end?

There is more about this proposal that is hidden in plain sight.  Stay tuned. . .