Village of Red Hook SEWER DEPARTMENT REPORT
June 2025
Operations in June have shown a marked improvement. For the new plant, all 4 samples tested (6/5, 6/11, 6/18, 6/25) were in full compliance. For the old plant, the 6/5 sample was in compliance except for Total Suspended Solids – which was 29.5 vs the limit of 10.0. The old plant has been in full compliance for the remaining samples for the month.
The DEC approved our going to sampling twice a month beginning in July.
We received no odor complaints in the month of June.
DPW Foreman Jake Smith set up an alarm to go off if the EQ tank gets too full. It has sounded several times recently. The alarm just sounds – it’s not currently set up to contact anyone. We are grateful to the neighbors who’ve called it in. This has averted an overflow. We met with Vector Security, our current alarm system, on Friday, July 11, to get a quote for upgrading and expanding our alarm system at the WWTP.
We received a Consent Order from NYS Department of Environmental Conservation on July 3, 2025 via email. This consent order stems from the Notice of Violation dated April 14, 2025, from the DEC site inspection visit on March 21, 2025. Our attorney is in touch with the DEC attorney to review. We have requested that the flow violations be corrected as those should not be violations based on the increase in allowable flow due to the addition of the New Plant in early 2023. Further negotiations will take place in the coming days.
Engineer/Operator Robert Flores has submitted his May report, in which shares his review of the operations and the changes that have been made. He is working on plans showing all modifications done and proposed. These plans will be submitted to DEC for approval. This will also be a part of our response to DEC Consent Order.
On our agenda for our meeting, we have an Operator recommendation from the Sewer Team: made up of DPW Foreman Jake Smith, the Village Engineer and Sewer/Water Operator Robert Flores, Mayor Smythe & Utilities Clerk Jen Cavanaugh. We contacted 6 companies – including Dutchess County Water and Wastewater Authority (DCWWA). The DCWWA only operates systems that it owns, which would require the Village to sell its operations to them. The team agreed that we didn’t recommend this option at this time. We received 3 proposals: from H2O Innovation Operation & Maintenance LLC, North Dome Operations, Inc., and SEBI Environmental Services, Inc.
We will hold our fourth public information meeting on Tuesday, July 15[th] at 7pm in the Village Hall court room. We will share the latest information we have on the operations of the WWTP.