Water issues continue to plague Moriah

MORIAH | Thanks to a dry season, the Town of Moriah is in a state of emergency, and unless Mother Nature decides to change her ways, things may stay that way indefinitely. Bartlett Pond, which is the reservoir that feeds the Moriah Water District, is critically low, obviously due to the lack of rainfall over the summer. "Our main concern really is more going into winter with the fact that Bartlett Pond typically will have a couple feet of ice on it," Brassard shared. "Right now we have around three feet of water in the pond. If we get a normal winter or even above normal winter as far as ice coverage, there is a really serious danger that there will be no water flow." An estimated 3,000- 3,500 households depend on and draw from Bartlett Pond. Brassard said this time of year, the water source is at its lowest, but typically water should be five or six feet above the intake. Issues began surfacing towards the end of July and the beginning of August, resulting in the Town asking residents to conserve water with the hope a rainy week and large thunderstorms would present themselves. "It just never happened," remarked Brassard. This isn't the first time Moriah has faced a significant drought, with the last in memory being back in 2001. The solution then, as it is now, was to pump water out of the mines. However, 24 years ago, pumping was only feasible for a day and a half because Moriah Shock, fully operational two decades ago with 250 inmates and 100 staff and on the same shaft for water, began having issues with their water levels. "Moriah Shock is gone, and nobody is on that water supply at the shaft," Brassard said. "Pumping water from the mine shaft is the most viable solution we have. I am hopeful we can just draw until we don't need to anymore." The state of emergency was declared on Sept. 16 and will run through Oct. 16. Currently, Moriah is under a water ban, which the supervisor has to extend every five days until the drought ends. Consecutive days of rainfall at the end of September succeeded in stabilizing water levels rather than increasing them. Beaver dams that were restricting water flow to the pond were opened. But it's still a waiting game for the pond to fill up again. "We are asking people to withhold from any recreational water use- car washing, washing boats, pressure washing homes, watering lawns," Brassard explained. "The local carwash here I can't thank enough, we immediately had a conversation with them and they shut down their whole operation." Hair salons in town are also not performing any hair washing after haircuts. "The businesses like banks and Stewart's all have sprinkler systems; they immediately shut those off, as did the golf course. Everybody is doing the best they can to try and save water," Brassard commended. The large structure fire in Port Henry on Tuesday, Sept. 28 required a legion of mutual aid because the town's hydrant system could not be utilized, with first responders battling the blaze for 12 hours before it was extinguished. Typically, 500,000 gallons of water a day are used, but since the ban has been in place that number is down to 400,000, a 20% savings of about 100,00 gallons a day. But a ban is only as good as a speed limit sign- the success is contingent on how many people choose to follow it. "I'm not in people's homes and can't monitor everyone," Brassard admitted. "Were there people out there not caring and washing 10 loads of laundry and taking 40-minute showers? Obviously, there are people still doing that, but if you can get 80 percent of the town to try and conserve water, it does make a huge difference." The town will be abiding by the ban until the rain gods decide to alter their pattern. In the meantime, water samples have been submitted for testing to ensure there is no risk of bacteria or parasites. Once given the green light as healthy and viable from the New York State Department of Health and Department of Environmental Conservation, pumping from the mine shaft into the brook that feeds Bartlett Pond can commence. "After two weeks of pumping non-stop, it should really help Bartlett Pond's water level," Brassard noted. "We should be able to pump about 75,000 gallons an hour." After a seven hour period, that would yield enough water into the pond for a whole day's usage, with anything after that being surplus and adding to the volume. "I want to thank everyone in the community for doing the best they can to save water," Brassard acknowledged. "I know it is not something that is at the top of a lot of people's minds, but if everyone just does a little bit it really does add up."

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Water issues continue to plague Moriah

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