New well installed on Duck Pond Road

The new well installed on Duck Pond Road is finally up and running, a project that began in March 2016. The well, 270 feet underground, draws 14,000 gallons of water per minute from the Magothy Aquifer, which is directly below the well.

The city used about 6 million gallons of water from May through October. The Duck Pond Road Well added two million gallons to the city’s supply.

“The new well answered an important need for the community as it provides additional water capacity to meet the needs of a growing city,” said Mayor Reggie Spinello. “With new developments under construction the additional water supply will help with our future demand.”  

There are now five wells throughout the city, each with an annual capacity of about 1.5 billion gallons.

One component of the new well are two granulated activated carbon systems (GAC), which filter out volatile organic compounds from the water. The GAC’s are located in buildings on the Duck Pond Road property, and are 10 feet wide and 25 feet tall.

The city has its own water department within the Department of Public Works, which it to keep rates low and respond quickly to water issues in the community. “When you have your own water department it’s a true advantage for the residents,” said Lisa Travatello, the spokeswoman for the city. “We know our neighbors, we’re helping our neighbors.”

The city spent about $3 million in capital bonds to fund the well, and is applying for a refund through the New York State Infrastructure Improvement Act Drinking Water Program.

Contractors that supported the well project included H2M Architects, Relle Electric Corp., Atlantic Wells, Inc., Philip Ross Industries and Layne Christensen Company.